Thursday, September 21, 2006 (Rajkot):

Ninety passengers on the Jet Airways 9W 346 Mumbai-Rajkot flight had a narrow escape when the aircraft came within 500 feet of a Sukhoi fighter.

The aircraft was descending and had already come to a height level of 22,500 feet.

It received a message from the Ahmedabad Air Traffic Control that an Air Force exercise was on and that the plane should stop at 23,000 feet.

The Jet aircraft was already into its descent and suddenly encountered one of four Sukhoi aircraft, barely 500 feet away.

To avoid a collision the pilot pulled up the plane and passengers felt a steep and sudden climb.

The Indian Air Force has said that the Sukhoi fighter did not pose any threat to the plane. But an enquiry has been set up by the Air Force along with the Director General of Civil Aviation.
URL http://www.ndtv.com/topstories/showtopstory.asp?slug=Narrow+escape+for+Jet+Airwa...