Sydney Airport near collision injures crew member

Australian safety regulators are investigating a near collision between two passenger aircraft at Sydney Airport that injured a Jetstar crew member and disrupted operations on Sunday.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau said a Jetstar Airbus A320 was taxiing for a flight to the Gold Coast when its crew saw a Qatar Airways Boeing 777, under tow from an aircraft tug, in close proximity on a crossing taxiway.

The bureau said both aircraft stopped abruptly. A cabin crew member aboard the Jetstar plane was injured, and there was damage to the connection between the Qatar Airways 777's nose gear and the tug.

Investigators are collecting data from both aircraft and air traffic control, and are interviewing crew and tug operators to determine the cause. The bureau also asked witnesses at the airport to send in any video of the incident.

Airservices Australia said flights at Sydney Airport were experiencing delays after the incident.

A Jetstar spokeswoman said the aircraft was following air traffic control instructions when pilots were forced to brake firmly after another aircraft came into close proximity. She said the injured crew member was moving through the cabin when the plane stopped abruptly and was later treated by paramedics.

Qatar Airways did not immediately respond to a request for comment. An official not authorised to speak publicly said early information suggested the tug pulling the Qatar plane did not follow air traffic control instructions.