AIR TRAFFIC controllers at Shannon helped avoid a possible mid-air collision involving President Clinton's Air Force One 747 jet last week as it approached Ireland, it has been belatedly revealed.
The incident occurred as the President and Mrs Clinton were flying to Paris for the start of his European tour. As Air Force One was about 200 miles west of Shannon shortly after midnight on May 27th, it was observed to be on a near collision course with a United Parcel Service 747 jet flying from Cologne to Philadelphia.
The Shannon controllers ordered both aircraft to turn to the left but the pilot of the Presidentialjet had already been alerted by its automatic Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System (TCAS). It was estimated that the planes came within three miles of each other horizontally and 1,000 feet vertically and this could be a technical violation of minimum separation standards.
The incident was revealed this week by the Independent Pilots' Association as part of its campaign to have freight planes equipped with TCAS. A UPS spokesman said, however, that the two aircraft "were never on a collision course".
The UPS pilot informed the association of the incident in which he said he saw the President's plane pass off to the right after a "rather excited" controller told him to turn left.
A spokesman for Andrews Air Force Base said the pilots in Air Force One said there was never any danger. It was unlikely that those in the plane noticed the evasive manoeuvre.
The Irish Aviation Authority said yesterday there was no danger to either aircraft, but the authority nevertheless regards all such incidents as requiring investigation.
Mr Clinton when told later about the incident expressed complete confidence in his pilots.