Wrong radio frequency by Cathay crew led to Nato jet interception: report
The cockpit crew of a Cathay Pacific Airways flight from Hong Kong to London selected the wrong radio frequency when mistakenly responding to instructions for another aircraft, leading to a loss of communication with air traffic control in Romanian airspace last month, a Hong Kong investigation report has revealed. The government said on Friday that the Civil Aviation Department had completed a…
A Cathay Pacific Airways flight from Hong Kong to London experienced a loss of communication with air traffic control due to a mistake by the cockpit crew. The report, released by the Hong Kong Civil Aviation Department, revealed that the crew had selected the wrong radio frequency when responding to instructions for another aircraft.
The incident occurred in Romanian airspace last month, prompting an intercept by two Hungarian fighter jets under NATO protocols. The government expressed serious concern over the incident, citing the mistaken response as the cause of the communication loss. The department instructed Cathay Pacific to implement improvement measures, such as enhanced operational procedures and increased vigilance for the flight crew.
The airline had already put these measures in place by mid-July, and the department pledged to monitor their effectiveness. Flight CX257, carrying over 300 passengers, departed Hong Kong on July 4 and entered Romanian airspace without establishing contact with the country's air traffic control. The Hungarian Defense Minister confirmed the interception, stating that the Hungarian fighter jets visually warned the aircraft near the Hungarian border before establishing communication.
Written by urgent.news from South China Morning Post - Hong Kong's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
This story
This is one outlet's version. Read the fullest account.
