[meteorite-list] Chicken Littleski was right

From: Darren Garrison <cynapse_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Wed, 28 Mar 2007 10:00:08 -0500
Message-ID: <5k0l03pne5hqgeo2mo7kqemevbne72u5to_at_4ax.com>

http://www.thewest.com.au/default.aspx?MenuID=145&ContentID=24657

Flaming space junk narrowly misses jet

28th March 2007, 11:15 WST


Pieces of space junk from a Russian satellite coming out of orbit narrowly
missed hitting a jetliner over the Pacific Ocean overnight.


The pilot of a Lan Chile Airbus A340, which was travelling between Santiago,
Chile, and Auckland, New Zealand, notified air traffic controllers at Auckland
Oceanic Centre after seeing flaming space junk hurtling across the sky just five
nautical miles in front of and behind his plane about 10pm last night.

According to a plane spotter, who was tuning into a high frequency radio
broadcast at the time, the pilot "reported that the rumbling noise from the
space debris could be heard over the noise of the aircraft.

"He described he saw a piece of debris lighting up as it re-entered (the earth's
atmosphere).

"He was one very worried pilot, as you would imagine.

"Auckland is talking to (an) Aerolineas Argentinas (pilot) who is travelling (in
the) opposite direction at 10 degrees further south asking if they wish to turn
back to Auckland.

"They have elected to carry on at the moment.

"(It's) not something you come across everyday and I am sure the Lan Chile crew
will have a tale to tell."

A spokesman for Airways New Zealand, which provides air navigation services
across airspace known as the Auckland Flight Information Region, confirmed the
incident this morning.

He said it occurred about 10 minutes after the Lan Chile flight had entered the
Auckland Flight Information Region.

Airways New Zealand had been warned by Russian authorities almost two weeks ago
that a satellite would be entering the earth's atmosphere sometime today between
10.30am and midday NZ time (6.30-8am WA time).

Airways New Zealand then provided that information to airlines and pilots that
would be travelling in that region at that time.

They could then decide for themselves whether they wished to fly during that
period.

"But clearly there has been a timing issue," the spokesman said.

"Either the time that was indicated to us was incorrect or the satellite
de-orbited early."

Because the timing was wrong, the coordinates of where the satellite was
supposed to enter the Earth's atmosphere also turned out to be incorrect.

A formal report about the incident has been logged and recordings of
conversations between the pilot and air traffic controllers were expected to be
handed over to investigators in the next few days, he said.

The Lan Chile flight landed safely at Auckland Airport early this morning, he
said.
Received on Wed 28 Mar 2007 11:00:08 AM PDT