Qantas, Jetstar seconds from collision By Steve Creedy and wires services The Australian July 19, 2004 PILOTS on a Jetstar plane had to change course mid-air in what passengers say was a near miss with a Qantas plane in north Queensland, Jetstar said today. Passengers have reported that a Qantas plane and another operated by the airline's budget carrier Jetstar came close to colliding near Hamilton Island in the Whitsundays on Saturday. "They took appropriate action which involved a change of course to maintain separation," Jetstar's chief executive, Alan Joyce, said in Melbourne today. "The pilots did the appropriate thing. They were under the direction of the Hamilton Island's tower at all times." Mr Joyce said until results of the Air Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) review were released, he would not comment further on the details of the incident. However, he said Jetstar always operated to the highest level of safety and was happy with the airports they operated in. "We are happy with the airports that we operate in," he said. "If we believed there were any problems we wouldn't operate into an airport." He also said the company was "happy with the way the air traffic control system works". Mr Joyce would not comment on claims by passengers that they were not given any explanation as to what was happening and were frightened. In a statement, Qantas said at 4.20pm on Saturday, Qantas flight 1174 was approaching Hamilton Island and Jetstar flight 711 was preparing to take-off from Hamilton Island. Qantas said both aircraft were under the control of Hamilton Island, which controls air space around Hamilton Island. "Hamilton tower gave the incoming Qantas aircraft clearance to make a visual approach," the statement said. "The Qantas flight crew could see the Jetstar aircraft at all times. "Both planes were in visual contact and there was no danger to any passengers." Qantas said it was gathering further details to supply to the ATSB so it could determine whether to investigate the matter. Passengers have described the incident as frightening. "It was a very scary experience to think what could have happened," one passenger told ABC radio. Another passenger Alan Bowler, who was travelling with his wife and children, said his family was thrown to the left. The horizon disappeared and they were left looking at the ocean, their hearts hammering. "All we could see was the water shimmering, and we were getting closer to it," Mr Bowler told Channel 9. He said they didn't know "what the hell was going on". However, passengers on the right hand side of the plane could see what happened. "They saw (another) airplane coming straight towards our plane," Mr Bowler said. Fellow passengers, New Zealand tourists, Mark and Wendy Stevens, said they were travelling on the Jetstar flight which took off steeply. "Then (the plane) just banked to the left sharp (sic) and then started to go down," Mr Stevens said. "I felt my stomach go down and the people said to me 'oh did you see that?' and I said 'no' and they said 'oh it was a Qantas plane really close'." The passengers said they were disappointed that the airline staff failed to explain the disruption, with no message from the captain or cabin crew.