Germany's air traffic control authority said Tuesday that it has suspended four employees over an incident last month in which two planes came dangerously close to each other at Frankfurt airport.
The incident happened in the early hours of July 18, when a Cessna 425 turboprop that was taking off flew over a Boeing 737 that was undergoing an engine test on a taxiway and had technicians on board, the Deutsche Flugsicherung agency said.
The tower did not notice the incident until the pilot of the Cessna reported it, an agency statement added.
Three controllers and a flight data processor were on duty. The agency said an internal investigation found that "at times, not all the work places were occupied as required." It did not elaborate.
The agency said it viewed that as "a blatant breach of regulations" and immediately suspended all four employees from working in the tower.
