A sudden stop on the taxiways at Australia’s busiest airport has triggered a safety investigation after two passenger jets came perilously close to each other, leaving a crew member injured and causing delays across Sydney Airport.
Safety regulators say the incident unfolded this morning when a Jetstar pilot applied heavy braking to avoid a crash with a Qatar Airways aircraft, disrupting operations at Sydney Airport.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) said a Jetstar Airbus A320 was taxiing ahead of a flight to the Gold Coast when the crew “observed a Qatar Airways Boeing 777, under tow from an aircraft tug, in close proximity on a crossing taxiway”.
“A cabin crew member aboard the [Jetstar] A320 was injured, and there was damage to the connection between the 777 nose gear and aircraft tug” as both aircraft stopped abruptly, the ATSB said.
The regulator said investigators are now gathering information from both planes and air traffic control, and interviewing flight crew and tug operators as they work to establish what led to the near collision.
It also urged anyone at the airport who captured video of the incident to provide it to investigators.
Airservices Australia said Sydney Airport flights are experiencing delays in the wake of the incident.
“Our aircraft was following instructions by Air Traffic Control when the pilots were forced to brake firmly after another aircraft came in close proximity,” a Jetstar spokeswoman said.
Jetstar said a crew member who was moving through the cabin was injured when the A320 stopped suddenly and was later treated by paramedics.
Qatar Airways did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
An official not authorised to speak publicly said early information suggested the tug towing the Qatar aircraft did not follow air traffic control instructions.
