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| Date: | Thursday 29 November 2018 |
| Time: | 07:12 UTC |
| Type: |  Airbus A320-213 (WL) |
| Owner/operator: | AirBlue, lsf VietJetAir |
| Registration: | VN-A650 |
| MSN: | 6457 |
| Year of manufacture: | 2015 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | None |
| Category: | Incident |
| Location: | near Rahim Yar Khan -
 Pakistan
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Passenger - Scheduled |
| Departure airport: | Islamabad International Airport (ISB/OPIS) |
| Karachi-Jinnah International Airport (KHI/OPKC) | |
| Investigating agency: | PakCAA |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
Saudia flight SV9431, an Airbus A330-343 (TC-OCN), was involved in a serious airprox incident with Air Blue Flight ABQ201, an Airbus A320 (VN-A650).
Flight SVA9431 was flying on ATS Route R471 from Jeddah to Multan and was cleared to decend to FL350 due to crossing traffic, Oman Air flight OMA261, a Boeing 737-800 (A4O-BM), which was in cruise on route G214, converging at Rahim Yar Khan (OPRK).
Due to reciprocal traffic, PIA flight PIA303, a Boeing 777, on FL360, operating on Route J112 from Lahore to Karachi, flight SVA9431 was instructed to expedite reaching FL350.
SVA9431 received a Traffic Collision Avoidance System – Resolution Advisory (TCAS–RA) due reciprocal traffic, Air Blue Flight ABQ201, an Airbus A320 (VN-A650) that was flying at FL340 on Route J112 from Islamabad to Karachi (OPIS–OPKC).
Cause(s) of Occurrence
1 This incident of TCAS–RA occurred due to the excessive rate of descent by SVA9431 (inertial vertical rate of more than 3000 ft per minute) while descending from FL370 to FL350. This incident cannot solely be attributed to cockpit crew of SVA9431. Initial rate of descent was well within the prescribed / recommended rate of descent. However, Karachi ATC (ACC Radar North) over emphasized and repeatedly instructed SVA9431 to expedite her descent. Moreover, inappropriate traffic information also resulted in creating wrong or inadequate situational awareness in the cockpit.
2 This incident of TCAS-RA also resulted in loss of separation and infringed standard separation between SVA9431and PIA 303 which is solely attributed to Karachi ATC (ACC Radar North). It was the lack of situational awareness where Karachi ACC left with no other option but to take PIA303 on Radar Vector and that too was not enough to create Standard Horizontal Separation between SVA9431 and PIA303 during the time Standard Vertical Separation did not exist. The route segment between Rahim Yar Khan (OPRK) and Nawabshah (OPNH) is situated close to Indo-Pak International Boarder and vectoring towards East could have led to further adverse situation. Overemphasize and overdoing on the part of ACC Radar North controller is evident.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
SIB Pakistan
History of this aircraft
Other occurrences involving this aircraft
| 30 September 2015 | VN-A650 | Vietjet Air | 0 | Hanoi-Noi Bai Airport (HAN) |  |
min |
| Bird strike | ||||||
| 30 April 2018 | VN-A650 | AirBlue, lsf VietJetAir | 0 | 30NM West of FATEH | |
non |
| Near miss | ||||||
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 20-Sep-2025 16:48 | ASN | Added |
| 20-Sep-2025 16:51 | ASN | Updated [Date, ] |
| 20-Sep-2025 16:52 | ASN | Updated [Accident report, ] |
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