Iberia and Air Europa Aircraft Came Face to Face at the Same Altitude Over the Atlantic
Two passenger aircraft operated by Spanish airlines Iberia and Air Europa narrowly avoided a potential mid-air collision over the Atlantic Ocean after their Traffic Collision Avoidance Systems (TCAS) activated while the aircraft were flying toward each other at the same altitude. Spain’s Civil Aviation Accident and Incident Investigation Commission (CIAIAC) has launched an investigation into the incident.
The incident occurred on July 10, when Iberia’s EC-OLE registered Airbus A321XLR was flying northeast at FL360 (36,000 feet) along airway N857 within the Canary Islands Flight Information Region. At the same time, Air Europa’s EC-NBM registered Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner was approaching from the opposite direction on the same airway at the same altitude.
The TCAS aboard the Iberia aircraft issued a Resolution Advisory instructing the crew to descend. Following the “RA DESCEND” command, the A321XLR descended approximately 500 feet, while the Air Europa Boeing 787-9 climbed about 400 feet in response to its own TCAS advisory. Once safe separation between the two aircraft was restored, the system issued a “clear of conflict” message.
