Melbourne Airport Tower Hacked

MELBOURNE TOWER

Aircraft were forced to abort landings and to go around seconds before touching down after receiving a hoax radio call. 

The Australian Federal Police (AFP) has launched an investigation after someone made hoax calls to pilots, causing a passenger flight to abort landing as it approached Melbourne Airport.

The incident occurred shortly after 5:00pm on October 27, when Virgin Australia flight 740, from the Gold Coast to Melbourne, changed its altitude and course under the instruction of the unauthorised person transmitting from an unknown location.
It is understood that 15 unauthorised transmissions occurred over a two-week period. Calls were received by both aircraft and Melbourne Air Traffic Services Centre.
A plane came within 275 feet of the runway at 5:19pm as it approached Tullamarine Airport.
After receiving a hoax call the plane climbed to 3,800 feet and started circling over north-west Melbourne.
Later that evening, the hoax caller impersonated the pilot of a light aircraft. He issued a mayday call and pretended to be experiencing engine trouble.
The Australian Federal Police have issued a warning about unauthorised radio transmissions and have launched an investigation into the incidents