Norwegian authorities have launched an investigation into a near collision between two SAS passenger jets earlier this week at Oslo airport, local media reported Friday. The incident occurred Monday, a day on which visibility was poor, due to heavy snowfall. Media reports said about 300 passengers and crew were aboard the Scandinavian carrier planes. One of the planes, bound for Copenhagen, was given approval to take off from the same landing strip that an inbound domestic SAS Braathens flight was about to land on. However, the pilots on the Copenhagen-bound plane sensed something was wrong and braked their plane before it reached the landing strip. The traffic controller who gave the approval has reportedly been suspended, the Oslo tabloid Verdens Gang reported. A spokeswoman for SAS Braathens said the incident was being investigated by Norwegian authorities. "While the investigation is pending we cannot say much, but we can confirm that the two planes were very close to each other," Siv Meisingseth told Norwegian news agency NTB.
