[Avionics Today 12-8-2014] The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) is investigating a series of near mid-air collisions between European passenger jets and military aircraft in recent months. According to a statement released by the agency, the European Commission requested the investigation after a series of incidents occurred "over the sea at the border of the European Union (EU)."
EU member states have reported the military aircraft’s transponders were inactive and it was not possible to establish a radio contact with them. EASA says the transponder malfunction “may have caused an immediate safety hazard to civil aviation.”
“This is a very serious issue. We will consult and interview all the relevant civil and military bodies in order to gather the necessary information to complete our analysis," said Patrick Ky, the executive director of EASA.
EASA will deliver its recommendations on how to minimize the potential safety impact that these near mid-air collisions pose to commercial aviation in Europe.