Chopper Carrying Princess Margaret in Near Collision
LONDON — Officials are investigating reports of a near collision involving a helicopter carrying Princess Margaret and a British Airways jumbo jet with 337 people on board, the Civil Aviation Authority said today.
The incident occurred near Heathrow airport Wednesday as the Boeing 747 and the Wessex helicopter carrying Queen Elizabeth’s younger sister apparently converged shortly after the jetliner took off, bound for Anchorage, Alaska, en route to Tokyo, officials said.
It was reported by an air traffic controller, who told the authority that he believed the aircraft passed within 300 feet of each other.
The Defense Ministry said the helicopter pilot was fully aware of the situation and had watched the jumbo take off.
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