Boeing near-miss over Duxford makes Stansted Airport air traffic controller 'feel uncomfortable'

An unknown aircraft and a Boeing 737 were forced to carry out 'emergency avoiding action' 2,500ft in the air just west of Shelford.

The pilot of the Boeing 737, which is a 33m long twinjet airliner, assessed the risk of collision as high in a report.

The pilot was in the process of being switched between Cambridge Airport and Stansted air traffic control. While Stansted air traffic control did warn the Boeing pilot of the other craft’s presence, the Boeing pilot reported that he had already seen the aircraft and started turning to avoid it by that time. This was deemed ineffective on the part of Cambridge Air Traffic Control.

The unknown aircraft made a sharp turn to avoid a collision.

Both aircraft were operating in Class G airspace where the pilots are responsible for their own collision avoidance.

The incident happened in July, and the pilot of the unknown aircraft has not since been traced.

In the incident report to the UK Airport Board the Stansted controller said the procedure requires Cambridge departures to fly over Duxford, he is surprised this sort of incident does not occur more often, and that “it certainly makes him feel uncomfortable”.