Description

On 6 July 2018, an Airbus A320 (EC-HQL) being operated by Vueling Airlines on an international passenger flight from Rome Fiumicino to Barcelona as VLG61WG and a Boeing 737-800 (CR-RNU) being operated by Royal Air Maroc on an international passenger flight from Casablanca to Barcelona as RAM964Y came into close proximity in day VMC whilst being positioned to final approach at destination, closing to 1.1nm laterally and 200 feet vertically after the 737 crew sighted the A320.

Investigation

A Serious Incident Investigation was carried out by the Spanish Commission for the Investigation of Accidents and Incidents (CIAIAC). It relied on recorded ATC data which were considered adequate without also seeking aircraft flight data.

It was noted that the A320 crew had consisted of a 37 year-old Captain and a 30 year-old First Officer and that the 737 crew had consisted of a 51 year-old Captain and a 32 year-old First Officer. It was further noted that the 44 year-old Executive Controller covering the sector where the conflict occurred at that time had been “trained on both the new Barcelona TMA, where RNAV flight paths had recently been implemented to replace conventional flight paths and on potential incidents in the TMA as a result of the introduction of these new flight paths”.