Jet flight loses ATC contact in Germany, creates panic

Failure in communication between a Mumbai-London Jet Airways flight and the Air Traffic Control (ATC) while flying over Germany triggered fears of a hijack with the Germans scrambling fighter jets.

The incident took place on February 16 when the flight 9W-118, with 330 passengers and 15 crew members, lost contact with the ATC for a brief period while flying over Cologne.

The pilots of the Boeing-777 lost contact due to a communication failure, the Jet Airways said in a statement.

“As a precaution, the German Air Force deployed its aircraft to ensure the safety of the flight and its guests,” the statement read.

The Germans had deployed two Eurofighters to thwart any possible hijack attempts and they continued to accompany the plane even after the radio contact was re-established.

The airline has de-rostered the pilots of the flight pending investigation and reported the matter to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation.

A similar incident had taken place in April 2014 while a London-Mumbai Jet Airways flight was flying over Germany.