A Ryanair service flying passengers back to Manchester Airport from Spain was in a near-miss with a private jet. The pilot of the Ryanair Boeing 737-800 was forced to make a quick right hand turn after the smaller plane converged on to their flight path.
The holiday jet had only just taken off from Palma Airport in Majorca when the incident happened last month, with just 100ft between the two aircraft. The minimum separation, according to airspace rule, should be 1,000ft vertically, with a horizontal distance of between three and five miles.
The Ryanair plane was around 900ft up and travelling at around 150mph when the incident took place, while the private Cirrus SF50, which had departed Palma's Son Bonet Airport, was just 100ft above and less than a mile away.
The quick-thinking commercial pilot was able to turn right and settle the aircraft on a diverging flight path. Both aircraft continued to their destinations for safe landings.
It's understood that Spain's aviation investigation branch has launched a probe into the incident.
A Ryanair spokesman said: “ The crew of this flight from Palma to Manchester (28 May) took immediate action upon identifying a converging light-type aircraft and as a result, the aircraft remained well-clear and the flight continued safely to Manchester. The event remains under investigation and we are continuing to liaise with the respective Competent Authorities in support of the associated processes.”
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