One near miss posed a 'real risk of a collision between two planes'

The report published on Thursday by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) also found the lowest-ever recorded number of serious near misses per hours flown by passenger planes in 2002.

But last year one near miss involving a passenger flight posed a "real risk of a collision between two planes" - giving it the most serious category A risk status - while there were no such incidents in 2001.

A military Jaguar jet came within 100 feet (30.5 metres) of a plane carrying around 80 passengers from Brussels to Newcastle, as the fighter suddenly "flashed" underneath them while in a steep climb.

The encounter was so close that only chance, and perhaps the initial response...prevented a collision Airprox report

The near miss - on 2 July last year - was described by assessors as "one of the most serious they had seen".

The Jaguar pilot had taken an "unnecessary risk" by climbing from low level, said the report.

'Real risk'

"The subsequent encounter ... was so close that only chance, and perhaps the initial response to TCAS [an automatic collision avoidance system] had prevented a collision," they concluded.

The number of category A incidents in general aviation - involving mainly private light planes - and in military aircraft also decreased last year.

Near misses are known as airprox (aircraft proximity) incidents and must be reported to the UK Airprox Board.

What is an Airprox? A situation in which, in the opinion of a pilot or controller, the distance between aircraft, as well as their relative positions and speed, have been such that the safety of the aircraft was, or could have been, compromised

In its ninth biannual report, the CAA said in 2002 there were 81 reported airprox involving commercial air transport (CAT) aircraft - which includes passenger and cargo flights - compared with 82 in 2001.

Of the 81, seven were regarded as serious, compared with 14 in 2001.

'Right direction'

And of those seven, one involved a real risk of a collision between two planes, with the other six listed as category B incidents, in which the safety of an aircraft was compromised in some way.

The CAA said no breakdown was available to show the number of incidents involving passengers.

UK Airprox Board director Gordon McRobbie said: "Compared with the results from 2001, those for 2002 show positive improvements."

Near miss risk categories A: Actual risk of collision existed B: Safety of the aircraft was not assured C: No risk of collision existed D: Insufficient, inconclusive or conflicting information precludes determining risk

"However, we must never be complacent about results and there is still room for improvement. But these latest figures show that things are moving in the right direction."

A total of 127 airprox incidents involving general aviation - mostly light and private planes - compared with a figure of 112 in 2001.

Nine came within category A, which was down from 24 in 2001.

And in 2002 there were 108 military aircraft airprox incidents compared with 94 the previous year.