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You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/sep/23/virgin-aborted-takeoff-canberra
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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
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| Virgin aircraft 'slammed on brakes' after takeoff aborted, reports claim | Virgin aircraft 'slammed on brakes' after takeoff aborted, reports claim |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| A Virgin Australia plane was ordered to abort a takeoff from Canberra airport on Monday morning to avoid another aircraft coming in to land but authorities and the airline have played down reports the pilot "slammed on the brakes." | A Virgin Australia plane was ordered to abort a takeoff from Canberra airport on Monday morning to avoid another aircraft coming in to land but authorities and the airline have played down reports the pilot "slammed on the brakes." |
| The Virgin Australia flight from Canberra to Sydney was given clearance for takeoff, but a few moments into its taxi on the runway, air traffic control cancelled the clearance due to another plane coming in to land. | |
| Graham Matthews, a passenger on the flight, told Guardian Australia that despite catching around 200 flights a year he'd never seen anything like this happen before. | |
| "We were a few seconds into the takeoff run on the north-south main runway when the plane powered down and the brakes went on," said Matthews. | |
| "Those of us on the left side of the plane saw a light plane cross up ahead on the east west runway, having just landed. | |
| "The pilot says 'clearance for take off was cancelled'. Then we turned around to reposition for take off." | |
| "Everyone on the plane was very happy when we landed in Sydney." | |
| That was scary, take off aborted, brakes slammed on. Another plane landing on cross runway at Canberra ping @abcnews | That was scary, take off aborted, brakes slammed on. Another plane landing on cross runway at Canberra ping @abcnews |
| Air traffic control and Virgin Australia said that other reports of a near-miss were "inaccurate" and that "no such thing occurred". | |
| A spokeswoman for Virgin told Guardian Australia they had contacted the aircraft's pilot after reports that he "slammed on the brakes". The spokeswoman said the pilot reported that the plane was taxiing slowly at a speed of about 10 to 20km/h when air traffic control radioed and said: "Actually, stop, because we've decided we'll let this other aircraft land first and then you can take off." | A spokeswoman for Virgin told Guardian Australia they had contacted the aircraft's pilot after reports that he "slammed on the brakes". The spokeswoman said the pilot reported that the plane was taxiing slowly at a speed of about 10 to 20km/h when air traffic control radioed and said: "Actually, stop, because we've decided we'll let this other aircraft land first and then you can take off." |
| "He said he applied slow braking pressure, but when they do that sometimes there's a noise from the engine as the gear changes and that tends to alarm passengers a bit, but it certainly wasn't the slamming on of the brakes," she said. | "He said he applied slow braking pressure, but when they do that sometimes there's a noise from the engine as the gear changes and that tends to alarm passengers a bit, but it certainly wasn't the slamming on of the brakes," she said. |
| Airservices Australia, the organisation that provides air traffic control, said it was a routine safety precaution, which occurred because the Virgin flight took longer than expected to taxi out to the runway. | Airservices Australia, the organisation that provides air traffic control, said it was a routine safety precaution, which occurred because the Virgin flight took longer than expected to taxi out to the runway. |
| The plane had begun to move forward for takeoff when it was told to stop. | |
| "The Virgin aircraft was reissued with a clearance just a few minutes later, and then it was safe for it to take off," an Airservices spokesman told Guardian Australia. | "The Virgin aircraft was reissued with a clearance just a few minutes later, and then it was safe for it to take off," an Airservices spokesman told Guardian Australia. |
| "Obviously you want to keep the planes a certain number of minutes apart. And once it encroaches even slightly, air traffic control err on the side of safety. This is air traffic control doing exactly what it should do." | "Obviously you want to keep the planes a certain number of minutes apart. And once it encroaches even slightly, air traffic control err on the side of safety. This is air traffic control doing exactly what it should do." |
| Both the Airservices spokesman and the Virgin spokeswoman said they suspected there was more interest in the incident because of the near miss in mid-air between two Qantas planes on Friday. | Both the Airservices spokesman and the Virgin spokeswoman said they suspected there was more interest in the incident because of the near miss in mid-air between two Qantas planes on Friday. |
| The planes were flying in opposite directions near Adelaide when one was given permission from air traffic control to climb to higher airspace, resulting in the aircraft breaching the minimum separation zone between it and the other aircraft. | The planes were flying in opposite directions near Adelaide when one was given permission from air traffic control to climb to higher airspace, resulting in the aircraft breaching the minimum separation zone between it and the other aircraft. |
| An investigation is under way and one air traffic controller has since been stood down. | An investigation is under way and one air traffic controller has since been stood down. |
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