Two aircraft involved in Cadiz wildfire attack were heading to heliport for refill.
Spanish investigators have disclosed that an Airbus A320neo aborted its approach to Malaga after a conflict with firefighting aircraft in the vicinity.
Investigation authority CIAIAC says the SAS twinjet had been inbound to runway 12 on 6 July.
Several areas of Spain, including Andalusia, have been badly affected by wildfire this season and two aircraft – one of them a Pegasus Aviacion Air Tractor AT-802 – had been conducting firefighting over Sierra de Grazalema park in Cadiz province.
The aircraft were returning to Cartama heliport to refill with water and fire retardant, says the inquiry in preliminary findings.
“On their way to the Cartama heliport from the site of the fire, both firefighting aircraft entered the Malaga [controlled traffic zone], without being able to establish communication [with air traffic control],” says CIAIAC.
The A320neo crew were instructed to take action by the jet’s collision-avoidance system, triggered by the presence of the Air Tractor.
CIAIAC’s provisional analysis shows both aircraft were at the same altitude and were horizontally separated by 0.8nm.
After resolving the conflict, the A320neo crew aborted the approach before making a second, successful landing attempt at Malaga a crew minutes later – by which time the Air Tractor had also landed.
CIAIAC identifies the A320neo involved as EI-SIG, and the Air Tractor as EC-JTF. None of the occupants was injured.
Wildfire suppression activity in Europe has resulted in mid-air accidents including the fatal collision of two Bell 214STs near Psatha, Greece, on 2 August.
Italian investigators are also analysing a 10 July occurrence in which a De Havilland CL-415’s wing was damaged when it snagged the bucket sling of an Airbus Helicopters H215 in Sardinia. Both aircraft returned to their bases without further incident.
The post Spain probes A320neo airprox with aerial firefighters during Malaga approach first appeared on FlightGlobal.