AMSTERDAM — A KLM Boeing 737-300 was forced to make a sudden turn to the right at 200kmh to avoid a collision with another plane shortly after landing at Munich Airport on Monday.

The two planes escaped disaster, passing each other by just a few metres, Dutch flag carrier KLM announced on Tuesday. There were 127 passengers and five crew on board the KLM flight.

Shortly after landing, the KLM pilot saw a twin-engine propeller plane from Italian carrier Air Dolomiti turn left onto the runway, forcing an emergency turn to avoid disaster.

KLM has raised the matter with Munich air traffic control and quickly established a special team to thoroughly investigate the incident, news agency ANP reported.

The plane’s cockpit voice recorder has been removed and transported to Amsterdam to assist in the airline’s inquiry, news agency Novum reported.

The alarming incident came on the same day that it was announced that 89.22 percent of KLM shareholders have offered up their shares to allow a planned Air France takeover to proceed. The merger will create Europe’s largest airline.

[Copyright Expatica News 2004]

Subject: Dutch news + German news