Chinese passenger plane narrowly avoids mid-air collision with cargo jet over Siberia

Air China flight climbed without clearance, putting it on a direct path towards another aircraft at cruising altitude

Two Chinese aircraft allegedly came within seconds of colliding over Russian airspace earlier this month after an unauthorised altitude change by an Air China passenger jet led to the dangerous convergence with a cargo plane.

Air China Flight CA967, en route from Shanghai to Milan, abruptly climbed from 34,100 to 36,000ft without instruction from Russian air traffic control on 6 July, reported the South China Morning Post.

The manoeuvre brought it within roughly 300 to 400ft (90–120m) of SF Airlines Flight CSS128, a Boeing 767 cargo jet flying from Budapest to Ezhou in central China. International aviation safety protocols require a minimum vertical separation of 1,000ft between aircraft at cruising altitude.

The near miss occurred above Tuva, a remote mountainous region in southern Siberia bordering Mongolia, and was captured on live tracking data from Flightradar24. The unauthorised ascent triggered onboard alarms known as the Traffic Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) in both aircraft, prompting emergency evasive action.

Audio recordings circulating on Chinese social media since the weekend suggest the Russian controller was simultaneously handling four aircraft and may have issued unclear instructions.

An Air China Boeing 737-800 (front) plane waits to take off at Beijing International airport on 6 July 2025 (AFP via Getty Images)

The source of the leaked recordings remains unknown and their authenticity could not be independently verified. Air China, SF Airlines and China’s civil aviation authority have not issued public comments.The Independent has written to them for comments.

In the English-language communication, the controller is heard asking: “Are you climbing with instruction or without instruction? Confirm, please.” The Air China pilot replies: “No. Thank you.”

It remains unclear why the Air China crew altered altitude but miscommunication of command directed at another aircraft is being considered as a possible reason, reported Belgium outlet Aviation24.be. The pilot’s full response was inaudible due to overlapping radio transmissions.

After switching to a private frequency, the two Chinese pilots conversed in Mandarin. The SF Airlines captain expressed concern over the climb, calling it “very inappropriate” and questioned whether the move had been cleared. The Air China pilot attributed the confusion to a Russian controller who he claimed had made “a fuss”, leaving the crew “confused.” He admitted they would need to file an official report.