Two F16s of the Royal Netherlands Air Force had to take action from Volkel Air Base on Sunday. For a short time they took to the air to intercept a passenger plane. Air traffic control could not connect to air traffic control.
“The pilots of the passenger plane turned out to have set the wrong radio frequency. The plane had no technical problems,” says an Air Force spokesman.
The crew of the F16s quickly established the connection. When it appeared that the passenger aircraft could continue the flight normally, the fighter planes returned to Volkel Air Base.
Ten times a year
According to the spokesman, there is an incident every week on average and the fighter jets have to take to the air for an interception about ten times a year.
“In most cases, these are incidents such as on this Sunday. But sometimes there is an emergency. For example, we once had to guide an aircraft with a broken altimeter when landing,” says the information officer.