The inaugural flight into the ACT to mark the beginning of direct flights by Batik Air between Canberra and Denpasar, Bali, is under investigation for breaching air traffic safety regulations.
The incident occurred on June 14 as the Boeing 737-800, operated by Batik Air as flight ID 6015, was approaching Canberra Airport from the south on its maiden flight into the national capital.
The Air Traffic Safety Bureau said the breach occurred about 19km south of Canberra, around the Burra rural residential area.
"During an instrument landing system approach into Canberra, the crew elected to hold at the waypoint," the investigation report said.
"During the holding, the aircraft was operated below the minimum holding altitude".
Waypoints are coordinates used by aircraft to navigate the skies.
This was categorised as a "serious incident" due to breaching minimum safe flying altitudes.
To date, the ATSB investigation has included interviewing the flight crew and air traffic controller, analysing the recorded flight data and air traffic surveillance data, examining the pilot records and operational records, and obtaining Batik Air's operator procedures and operational documentation.
Batik Air is part of the Lion Air Group which also has airlines in Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia. It operates three direct flights a week between Canberra and Bali.
The Batik Air incident came almost 20 years after another serious incident involving a Qantas flight inbound from Perth in the early hours of July 14, 2004.
In that incident, the control tower at Canberra Airport had been unmanned because of "staffing issues".
The long flight had been an uncomfortable one because of a fault with the air-conditioning system. As it approached Canberra, the pilot entered the wrong coordinates into the flight management computer which sent the flight over the Tinderry mountains.
A terrain warning was activated, causing the flight crew to intervene and climb quickly.
The flight landed without incident.
