B789 / B788, en-route, northwest of Mumbai India, 2022

B789 / B788, en-route, northwest of Mumbai India, 2022

Summary

On 14 September 2022, a Boeing 787-9 inbound to Mumbai lost separation with a Boeing 787-8 also inbound to Mumbai on the same airway. The 787-9 began a descent from FL410 to FL340 at night without clearance close to an air traffic control sector boundary. ATC soon observed the error, but a delay in contacting the 787-9 resulted in it descending to FL389 before being instructed to return to its cleared level. As it passed through FL390 descending and then again when climbing, it came within 3nm of the same-direction 787-8, which was level as cleared at FL390.

Description

On 14 September 2022, separation was lost at night between a Boeing 787-9 (G-VBZZ) operated by Virgin Atlantic Airways on a flight from London Heathrow to Mumbai as VIR354 with an augmented crew and a Boeing 787-8 (VT-ANM) operated by Air India on a flight from Dubai International to Mumbai as AI912. Both were scheduled international passenger flights. The 787-9 descended through FL390, which was the altitude of the 787-8 traveling in the same direction. A similar loss of separation was then repeated when the 787-9 then climbed back through FL390 in response to ATC instructions. Minimum horizontal separation was 3nm whilst at the same level but no resolution advisory (TCAS RA) was activated.

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