Wrong radio frequency by Cathay crew led to Nato jet interception: report
The flight crew of Hong Kong flag carrier Cathay Pacific Airways selected the wrong radio frequency due to a mistaken response to instructions, leading to the London-bound flight’s loss of communication with the local air traffic control unit over Romanian airspace last month, an investigation report has revealed. The Hong Kong government said on Friday that the Civil Aviation Department had…
An investigation report has disclosed that a mistake by the crew of a Cathay Pacific Airways flight caused the aircraft to lose contact with local air traffic control in Romanian airspace. The crew had selected the incorrect radio frequency due to a misinterpreted instruction, leading to the incident last month. The Hong Kong government expressed serious concerns about the event, which prompted an intercept from two Hungarian fighter jets operating under NATO protocols.
The flight, CX257, carrying over 300 passengers, was en route to Heathrow Airport from Hong Kong when it departed without establishing communication with Romanian air traffic control on July 4. The aircraft's communication system was reportedly functioning correctly, and the flight crew did not recognize the loss of communication immediately after the incident.
The Civil Aviation Department has instructed Cathay Pacific to implement several improvements, such as enhancing operational procedures and increasing vigilance among flight crews when communicating. The department emphasized the importance of maintaining good communication between flight crews and air traffic controllers to ensure aviation safety.
Written by urgent.news from South China Morning Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
