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A LATE maneuver by an RAF Valley pilot helped avoid a mid-air collision with a helicopter, an air safety board has ruled.
The three jets from RAF Valley were travelling completing a training exercise over Ruthin last December when the incident occurred.
The Airprox board, which invetigates safety issues on board Briths aircraft, said that the red, black and white civilian helicopter was spotted late by the RAF formation’s lead pilot, who was flying in a Hawk T2 jet.
The report details how the RAF pilots were unaware of any other aircraft operating in the area, and that despite a TCAS (Traffic Collision Avoidance System) being fitted, no warning was given.
It also suggested that the ‘rolling terrain’ in the area may have prevented a sighting of the helicopter earlier, whilst the formation of the three jets also prevented the rear two pilots from viewing the approaching helicopter, which was avoided by a special manouver by the lead pilot.
“The sighting was too late to take effective avoiding action to reduce the collision risk other than a slight climb and wing waggle,” said the report.
Board members concluded that the helicopter pilot had been ‘unwise’ to fly in an area known to fly in a busy area used by trainee military pilots, whilst the chairman stated that though there had been a risk, the lead pilot’s execution of an avoidance manouver had removed any possibility of a collision.
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