MOSCOW. Nov 29 (Interfax) - A plane believed to be a NATO reconnaissance aircraft has again interfered with the flight of a passenger jet near the Russian coast of the Sea of Japan, an informed source told Interfax.
The unknown plane was noticed in the airspace of the Sea of Japan by Russian air traffic controllers on Wednesday, the source said. The plane was chaotically crossing lanes used by civilian planes, not responding to the tower, and created a threat to a passenger jet flying nearby, the source said.
"While performing unauthorized maneuvers, the unknown plane came dangerously close to the passenger jet flying from Tokyo to Vladivostok. The vertical distance between the planes was less than 200 meters. The passenger jet was forced make an emergency descent of another 500 meters in order to avoid a dangerous incident," the source said.
This must have been a NATO reconnaissance plane, judging by the transponder signal that Russian traffic control identified, the source said.
Presumed reconnaissance planes repeatedly trespassed into lanes used by civilian aircraft flying close to the Russian border over the Sea of Japan in August and September. Air traffic controllers had to order six passenger jets to change their altitude to avoid a collision with the unknown planes.
Our editorial staff can be reached at eng.editors@interfax.ru)