Two aircraft have narrowly missed colliding at Australia’s busiest airport this morning, when a Jetstar Airways domestic flight came within proximity to an empty Qatar Airways jet that was being towed. This resulted in both planes slamming on the brakes and subsequently left one Jetstar crew member injured.

On Sunday, August 9, both Jetstar and Qatar Airways were taxiing on the apron at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport (SYD), where the airlines had both been following instructions from air traffic control. Pilots of the Jetstar flight identified that they were in proximity to the Qatari 777 that was being towed, resulting in the brakes being applied and the unexpected abrupt halt of the two jets.

JQ204 To The Gold Coast Was Canceled

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Qantas low-cost carrier Jetstar had completed its boarding process, and all passengers were buckled in for the domestic flight to the Gold Coast this morning. JQ402 had pushed back from the gate and was making its way to the runway for takeoff, when the Airbus A320 came close to colliding with the Qatar Airways Boeing 777-300ER.

Quick actions by the Jetstar pilots and the ground crew towing the Qatar 77W saw both operators slam on the brakes. This caught the occupants of the Jetstar flight off guard, including one Jetstar flight attendant who was injured following the stop.

This resulted in the Jetstar flight ultimately being canceled, and it returned to the terminal for disembarkation. The flight attendant was able to receive medical care from paramedics who came to the airport. Affected passengers have been rebooked onto other services. The return flight from the Gold Coast, JQ405, was also canceled. The Qatar Airways flight did not face any delays or schedule interruptions.

No Passenger Injuries Were Reported

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Jetstar has confirmed to Simple Flying that no passengers were injured following the near-miss, and the aircraft had been taxiing out from its bay at Sydney Airport when the incident occurred. The airline commended the actions of the captain, who was able to act quickly and decisively for the protection of those onboard, and the aircraft itself. Due to the abrupt slamming on of the brakes, a cabin crew member was unexpectedly injured.

The Qatar aircraft had recently arrived from Doha Hamad International Airport (DOH) and had been operated by Virgin Australia. The service had already been disembarked at the gate and was in the process of being towed to a parking area for the day. There were no occupants onboard the QR aircraft.

At this time, according to a report by 9News, the Jetstar captain is pointing the finger at the operator of the Qatar tug, claiming that the Jetstar had been cleared to taxi, and that the Boeing 77W should have waited. Simple Flying received the following statement from Jetstar in relation to the incident:

“Our aircraft was following instructions by Air Traffic Control when the pilots were forced to brake firmly after another aircraft came in close proximity. We have commenced an investigation into the incident.”

An Investigation Into The Near-Miss Has Been Launched

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With more than 150 scheduled services passing through Sydney, this weekend the airport has been plagued with staffing shortages, which as a result saw Airservices Australia operating reduced air traffic movements due to the delays and network-wide impact. The air traffic flow measurement was a result of the roster constraints. On Friday, more than 120 flights were delayed due to similar circumstances.

The incident comes just days after two Qantas aircraft also narrowly missed colliding on August 6, when a QantasLink flight from Canberra International Airport (CBR) had landed, and at the same time a Qantas jet services from Queenstown Airport (ZQN) had been cleared to taxi across the runway. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) is now investigating the incident.

All three: Jetstar, Qatar and the ATSB have launched investigations into the incident at Sydney, and fortunately in this instance only one person was injured following the oversight that almost led to two aircraft colliding on the grounds of Sydney airport. The Jetstar plane, which carries registration VH-VQJ, remained on the apron following its flight cancellation, and has since been rescheduled to fly to Melbourne (MEL) this evening as JQ529.