Updated: Mon Mar. 08 2010 17:22:02
ctvcalgary.ca
The Calgary Police Service plans to meet with federal aviation officials after the HAWCS helicopter was involved in a couple of incidents near the Calgary International Airport.
The Transportation Safety Board says at no time were any of the incidents near misses.
In December, HAWCS and a West Jet plane, landing at the airport, came within 0.7 nautical miles of each other which triggered the plane's warning system.
Then last month, HAWCS and an aircraft operated by North Cariboo Air came within 200 vertical feet of each other near the airport, although both aircraft were a mile apart at the time.
The Calgary Police Service is strongly defending HAWCS and the pilots and says that at no time has the helicopter ever been where it wasn't supposed to be.
HAWCS has an impeccable track record after 15 years of service and the pilots fly where they are told to by air traffic controllers and follow strict rules and guidelines.
The TSB has not launched a formal investigation but says they want the stakeholders to meet because the two incidents happened so close together.