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| Date: | Saturday 15 June 2024 |
| Time: | c. 06:12 UTC |
| Type: |  Airbus A321-231 (WL) |
| Owner/operator: | Etihad Airways |
| Registration: | A6-AEJ |
| MSN: | 6842 |
| Year of manufacture: | 2015 |
| Engine model: | IAE V2533-A5 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 203 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | None |
| Category: | Serious incident |
| Location: | Muscat FIR, Bravo Sector -
 Oman
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Passenger - Scheduled |
| Departure airport: | Abu Dhabi International Airport (AUH/OMAA) |
| Colombo-Bandaranaike International Airport (CMB/VCBI) | |
| Investigating agency: | OTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The serious incident involved Etihad Airways ETD390 aircraft with registration marks A6- AEJ, Airbus 321-231 and Air India Express AXB817 aircraft with registration marks VT-AXT, Boeing 737-800NG. Aircraft AXB817 entered Muscat Flight Information Region (FIR) via point LOTAV maintaining flight level (FL) 320 flying on westerly direction destination Muscat International Airport (OOMS) while aircraft ETD390 entered via point LABRI maintaining FL310 flying on an easterly direction to exit waypoint LOTAV intended destination Colombo-Bandaranaike International Airport (VCBI), Sri Lanka. As aircraft ETD390 was on Airway (AWY) M300 between waypoint (WPT) EMURU and WPT GOLBA whilst aircraft AXB817 was on AWY M300 (bidirectional) between WPT GOLBA and WPT EMURU on descent from FL340 to FL320, Bravo sector Air Traffic Controller (ATCO) identified aircraft AXB817.
The Bravo sector ATCO cleared aircraft AXB713 that entered MCT FIR via WPT TOTOX destination
OOMS to descend to FL160.The flight crew of aircraft AXB713 did not read back the descent
clearance and instead the flight crew of aircraft AXB817 readback to descend to FL160.Aircraft
AXB817 continued descending to FL160 on AWY M300 which was through the flight level of aircraft
ETD390 that was maintaining FL310. Aircraft ETD390 and aircraft AXB817 were on the same AWY
head-on, with a closing distance of 30 seconds between them. Thereafter, the yellow Short-Term
Conflict Alert (STCA) was triggered on the Middle sector ATCO radar screen between conflicting
traffic aircraft ETD390 and aircraft AXB817 and the Traffic Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) Resolution Advisory (RA) were activated on both aircraft.
At the time the Middle sector ATCO issued a clearance to the flight crew of aircraft AXB817 to
maintain FL320 and to turn right 20° in order to avoid the conflict with aircraft ETD390 both the flight
crew of aircraft AXB817 and aircraft ETD390 reported to the Middle sector ATCO applying the TCAS-
RA avoidance manoeuvre respectively. Once aircraft AXB817 and aircraft ETD390 were clear of
conflict, aircraft ETD390 climbed back to FL310 and aircraft AXB817 climbed to FL320 as instructed
by Middle sector ATCO. Furthermore, both aircraft continued to their destinations and landed safely
without any further incident.
The closing distance between the two aircraft separation was 700FT and distance in time of 30
seconds. The loss of separation was due to the flight crew of aircraft AXB817 executing a descent
meant for other aircraft AXB713.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
https://www.mtcit.gov.om/ITAPortal/Data/SiteImgGallery/20255267355352/OTSB%20Case%20File%20No%20AIFN004062024_TCAS%20RA%20Etihad%20Airways%20A6-AEJ%20and%20Air%20India%20Express%20VT-AXT%20over%20Muscat%20FIR%20Final%20Report.pdf
https://www.jetphotos.com/photo/11443150 (Photo)
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 27-Jul-2025 14:51 | Justanormalperson | Added |
| 27-Jul-2025 14:51 | Justanormalperson | Updated [Accident report, ] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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