Passenger plane was at risk of collision

The incident, over Burrow Head, near the Firth of Forth in Scotland, on October 27 last year, involved two Hawk jets and a Dash 8 passenger plane flying from Newcastle to Belfast.

The crew of one of the Hawks reported the Dash 8 flying towards them about 200ft-300ft above.

There was insufficient time to take avoiding action and the Dash 8 overflew the Hawks in an incident in which there was a ''high'' risk of a collision, the report from the UK Airprox (aircraft proximity) Board.

The report added: "The Hawk pilot's unit comments that this was a deeply disturbing incident."

The report said the cause of the incident was the non-sighting of the Hawks by the Dash 8 pilots ''and, effectively, a non-sighting by the Hawk leader''.

The October 27 case was the only one of the year in which a passenger plane was deemed to have been in a category A near-miss.

Category A cases are those in which an actual risk of collision existed. The other risk-bearing category is category B in which the safety of the aircraft involved was compromised.

The board reported that there were 207 reported airprox (near-misses) in 2004 compared with an average total of 201 over the last five years.

Of the incidents last year, only 33 per cent were in category A and category B - the lowest percentage for five years and compared with a five-year average of 38 per cent.

UK Airprox Board director Peter Hunt said: "Notwithstanding the one risk category A airprox involving a commercial aircraft in the latter half of 2004, the overall story is one of continuous improvement.

"Commercial air transport (CAT) airprox now account for less than four in 10 of all airprox and the downward trend in the CAT risk-bearing rate continues, which is to be welcomed.

"It has long been part of the aviation safety culture for people to report openly any safety-related incident. This openness can bring safety improvements and allows others to learn valuable lessons.''