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| Date: | Monday 4 July 2022 |
| Time: | c. 03:42 UTC |
| Type: |  Boeing 777-FFG |
| Owner/operator: | Saudi Arabian Airlines Cargo |
| Registration: | HZ-AK73 |
| MSN: | 60339/1342 |
| Year of manufacture: | 2015 |
| Engine model: | General Electric GE90 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 5 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | None |
| Category: | Serious incident |
| Location: | Waypoint EGVAN -
 Oman
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Cargo |
| Departure airport: | Hyderabad-Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (HYD/VOHS) |
| Riyadh-King Khalid International Airport (RUH/OERK) | |
| Investigating agency: | OTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
Flight SVA985 was a scheduled flight which departed Hyderabad, India for King Khaled International Airport (OERK) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Flight OMS598 was a scheduled flight which departed Khartoum International Airport for Muscat International Airport (OOMS) in the Sultanate of Oman. Salam Air flight OMS598 was at FL370 when it entered the Sultanate of Oman airspace via reporting point MIDGU (eastbound). The incident occurred in Muscat Flight Information Region (FIR), Central Sector during daytime at approximately 100 NM west of Muscat and abeam reporting point EGVAN. An
incident report was not received from Salam Air until it was requested. At the time of the incident, the ATCO controlled nine aircraft. In both aircraft, the Captain was the pilot monitoring (PM) and the First Officer was the pilot flying (PF).
Flight SVA985 established contact with the Muscat FIR Central Radar (CR) controller after being transferred by the East Radar (ER) controller. The flight maintained FL340 and was instructed to report exit point LUDID. Flight OMS598 maintained FL370 when it established first contact with the CR controller. OMS598 was instructed to reset the squawk to 6556, and given the flight plan (FPL) route to Muscat, and runway 26R in use.
Subsequently at 03:37:36, flight OMS598 was instructed by the CR controller to descend to FL310 and to be leveled by reporting point EGVAN. The flight crew entered FL310 on their FMS without engaging the descent. In return, Mode S from flight OMS598 showed on the controller’s Extended Label tool as FL310 which is the flight level that was manually selected in the FMS by the crew but not yet engaged. OMS598 opted to maintain FL370 to the top of descent point at which they planned to commence the descent.
To avoid the conflict situation, two minutes later at 03:39:59, the ATCO instructed flight OMS598 “OMS598 descend to FL350 now”. Flight OMS598 read back the clearance. The clearance given to flight OMS598 to descend to FL350 was in order to keep flight OMS598 above flight SVA985. Flight OMS598 descended and maintained FL350,11 NM prior to reporting point EGVAN. The first officer, who was the Pilot Flying (PF), checked with the Captain who was the Pilot Monitoring (PM), if the initial clearance to pass reporting point EGVAN at FL310 was still valid. The flight crew agreed on the validity of that clearance. At 03:42:20, OMS598 Captain reported to the CR controller descending to FL310 First Officer had already initiated the descent and had left FL350 as stated by the flight crew.
However, Muscat ACC radar showed the flight OMS598 was still at FL350 due to the delay on the radar antenna which rotated every 10 seconds except for the radar located in Jaalan, which rotated every 15 seconds. At that time SVA985 at FL340 was approaching EGVAN reporting point (westbound). At 03:42:26 the CR controller requested flight OMS598 to stop and to maintain FL350 now. Flight crew OMS598 read back “maintain FL350”, but the crew took around 30 seconds to insert on the FMS FL350. At 03:42:32, OMS598 replied to the controller “maintain FL350”, and to expect lower after crossing traffic. Flight OMS598 acknowledged by saying roger. Noticing on the radar OMS598 out of FL350, the ATCO instructed the flight crew at 03:42:56 while passing FL345 as follow: “stop maintain stop level 350”. The flight crew entered FL350 on their FMS while passing FL343 at 2400 fpm rate of descent. OMS598 replied the controller: "climbing back to FL350". The ATCO issued an avoiding heading of 190 to flight OMS598. Flight OMS598 acknowledged and complied accordingly.
The ATCO also gave an avoiding heading of 320 to flight SVA985, but at 03:43:35 flight SVA985 reported to the CR controller a TCAS TR. Then flight OMS598 also reported a TCAS RA. The horizontal separation was infringed (4.98 NM), and the vertical separation was achieved as flight OMS598 was climbing through FL347 and flight SVA985 was descending through FL337. Thereafter, both flights reported clear of conflict.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
https://www.mtcit.gov.om/ITAPortal/Data/SiteImgGallery/2023113013553224/OTSB%20FINAL%20REPORT-OTSB%20Case%20File%20No.001-07-2022.pdf
https://www.jetphotos.com/photo/10714602 (Photo)
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 27-Jul-2025 19:57 | Justanormalperson | Added |
| 27-Jul-2025 19:58 | Justanormalperson | Updated [Accident report, ] |
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