NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / New Zealand

Close mid-air encounters detailed over Auckland

NZ Herald
4 Sep, 2014 05:00 PM4 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

There have been 19 incidents where aircraft have got to close to each other at, or over Auckland Airport. Photo / APN

There have been 19 incidents where aircraft have got to close to each other at, or over Auckland Airport. Photo / APN

Aircraft have flown too close to one another over Auckland 19 times in two years.

The Airways Corporation, which runs air traffic control, disclosed the figure after two incidents in one day, when airliners about to land at Auckland Airport were instructed to pull up and try again because the runway was obstructed by departing planes.

Despite dramatic-sounding accounts from witnesses on the ground, Airways insisted there was no loss of required separation in either case, and there was "nothing unsafe or untoward in go-arounds being requested or directed".

But in response to a subsequent Official Information Act request, it disclosed 19 "loss-of-separation" incidents above Auckland in the two years to August. Away from the airport, planes must stay three nautical miles apart laterally. The default vertical separation distance is 1,000 feet.

Last night, corporation spokeswoman Philippa Sellens described the breaches as "technical" and said no near-collisions at or around Auckland Airport were recorded in its database.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

But she refused to provide details of the incidents - or what type of aircraft were involved.

Airways' corporate solicitor, Kylie Campbell, wrote earlier that it was obliged to protect information from industry sources which was needed to promote aviation safety, but said the Herald was entitled to apply to the Ombudsman for a review of the corporation's decision.

She also disclosed air traffic controllers had instructed pilots 68 times in the past two years to postpone landings and "go around" Auckland airspace before trying again.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"The majority of go-arounds occur due to sudden changes in weather which is, of course, characteristic of the challenging operating environment in New Zealand," Ms Campbell said.

But that was not so with the two "go-arounds" reported on August 4, which occurred after passengers on the ground had faced take-off delays.

Ms Sellens said then they were not weather-related, but offered no other explanation.

An Airline Pilots Association spokeswoman said her group was unaware of any lost separation in the past two years, and would need more details to make a serious comment.

Discover more

Airlines

Qantas' shock $3.17 billion loss

28 Aug 02:29 AM
Companies

NZ shares rise, led by Pacific Edge

04 Sep 07:48 AM
World

Mystery shrouds couple's crash off Jamaica

06 Sep 09:56 PM

She advised against making the public "anxious when there is no need to" and suggested Aucklanders should be more nervous about being tail-gated in their cars.

Robin Scott of Mt Eden, a member of the Plane Truth campaign against new flight paths over Auckland homes, said the consequences of a two-car crash were "nothing compared to aircraft having a mishap".

"We can see the ribs on the aeroplane as it's going over. It would be a concern if they got a bit close - how are they going to get out of each other's way?"

A New Zealand-based editor for the international Aviation Week publication, Adrian Schofield, was surprised by Airways' numbers - because they sounded "quite low".

"It would be important to not be alarmist about it because in any airport system in the world you're going to have loss of separation," he said.

"They have these pretty conservative separations in terminal airspace and it doesn't take much to violate the separation."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Such incidents in the US, where he spent about 10 years at Aviation Week's head office, "can run into the thousands nationwide and into the hundreds at individual airports".

In her response to the Herald's Official Information Act request, Ms Campbell said aircraft operating over Auckland City, but outside the vicinity of the airport and subject to radar control, were required to keep three nautical miles (5.6 km) apart laterally.

Required vertical separations varied according to flight tracks, but if no height was prescribed, the minimum distance was 1,000 feet (305 metres).

Separation distances in the vicinity of the airport were determined by air traffic controllers based on factors such as aircraft type, weather conditions and whether instrument or visual flight rules applied.

The Civil Aviation Authority said it was unable to respond to inquiries on the issue until today.

Aircraft "go-arounds" above Auckland Airport

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

• August 2012 - July 2013: 37
• August 2013 - August 2014: 31

Loss-of-separation incidents between aircraft above Auckland and the airport

• August 2012 - July 2013: 13
• August 2013 - August 2014: 6

- Source: Airways Corporation

Save

    Share this article

Latest from New Zealand

New Zealand

'Out of character': Concern grows for missing US student in NZ

10 Jun 08:45 AM
New Zealand

'Not giving it up': Gypsy wagon battle with state housing rages on

10 Jun 08:29 AM
New Zealand

Eight-vehicle crash blocks Auckland motorway

Why Cambridge is the new home of future-focused design

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from New Zealand

'Out of character': Concern grows for missing US student in NZ

'Out of character': Concern grows for missing US student in NZ

10 Jun 08:45 AM

An investigator says Will Johnson's last contact with family was on June 5.

'Not giving it up': Gypsy wagon battle with state housing rages on

'Not giving it up': Gypsy wagon battle with state housing rages on

10 Jun 08:29 AM
Eight-vehicle crash blocks Auckland motorway

Eight-vehicle crash blocks Auckland motorway

Driver dies after North Shore crash, Aucklanders in line for thunderstorms

Driver dies after North Shore crash, Aucklanders in line for thunderstorms

10 Jun 07:26 AM
Clean water fuelling Pacific futures
sponsored

Clean water fuelling Pacific futures

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • What the Actual
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven CarGuide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP
search by queryly Advanced Search