Thomson Plane Escaped Near Crash To Rocket In August: DfT

Earlier this year, two months before the Russian jet crash in Egypt, a Thomson flight is reported to have undergone a near-miss carrying UK tourists to Sharm el Sheikh.

The news comes from way of Daily Mail citing the Department for Transport told to Sky News about investigating the incident. However, no specific details have been mentioned in the newspaper.

The attack was not targeted but it may have been a routine exercise by the Egyptian military in the area at the time of incident.

A spokesman of the department said the pilot seated in the cockpit saw a rocket coming towards the plane, which was thereafter diverted 1,000ft away to the left.

The incidence took place on August 23, 2015, with flight TOM 476. Upon landing into Sharm el Sheikh initial assessment was done and the incidence was thereafter reported to the UK Department for Transport (DfT).

The DfT as well as other agencies of UK government conducted a complete review of the case and concluded the route can be used for flying programme to Sharm el Sheikh as there was no cause for concern found.

The Thomson incidence has however added fears related to security of flights in the area after the recent crash of Russian jet plane that is believed to have bombed down by terror group in Egypt.

All the 224 people on the Metrojet plane died while flying from Sharm to St Petersburg. Experts believe it was not possible to shoot it flying more than 30,000ft above.

Lately, intelligence has come up with a theory bomb might have been smuggled into the plane that exploded in midair.