The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) has launched an investigation into a near-miss at Sydney Airport, where a Qantas 737 was cleared to cross the main runway while another aircraft was landing.
The incident occurred at approximately 8.14am on July 27, involving a QantasLink flight from Canberra and a Qantas 737 service from Queenstown, New Zealand.
The ATSB described it as a "breakdown of coordination" in its preliminary summary.
What happened
According to the ATSB, air traffic control (ATC) cleared the 737 on runway 25 to cross runway 34L, while the DHC-8 (QantasLink) was in the landing roll on runway 34L.
"ATC detected the conflict and advised both crews, with the 737 stopping after the holding point," the ATSB said.
No injuries or damage were reported.
Qantas responds
In a brief statement, Qantas confirmed both aircraft were acting with permission.
"Both Qantas aircraft were cleared to proceed following instructions from air traffic control and we will support the ATSB in the investigation," a spokesperson said.
The ATSB's investigation will include interviews with pilots and a review of recorded data. A final report is expected by the end of the year.
Safety measures
The bureau noted: "Should a critical safety issue be identified during the course of the investigation, the ATSB will immediately notify relevant parties, so that appropriate safety action can be taken."
Airservices Australia, the government-owned organisation responsible for traffic operations, has been contacted for comment.
