Posted on 09/18/2007 8:57:41 PM PDT by killjoy
Wind shear alert was down
Officials say system not crucial for landing
POST REPORTERS
Systems to detect dangerous winds at Phuket international airport have emerged as a new factor possibly linked to the horrendous crash of the One-Two-Go flight on Sunday.
Wuttichai Singmanee, director of air safety at the Civil Aviation Department, said three of the six wind shear alert systems at the airport had problems.
''Three out of six low-level wind shear alert systems were not working at the time,'' Mr Wuttichai said in a report by the AP.
An official at Phuket airport who declined to be named told the Bangkok Post that the system run by the Meteorological Department had not functioned for months.
The systems detect sudden strong winds, also known as wind shear, which could cause trouble for a plane landing at the airport.
Officials responsible for the system would normally alert air traffic controllers to warn pilots about the situation on the ground.
These systems are installed at all international airports in Thailand. They are located in areas around the airport.
With investigators still trying to determine the cause of the tragedy, it was unclear yesterday whether the accident, which left 89 people dead and 41 injured, was due to pilot error or weather conditions.
But Mr Wuttichai said even though the wind shear detection system was not fully functional, this would not necessarily lead to an accident.
The airport at Phuket was also equipped with its own, separate wind detecting system and could inform incoming and outgoing planes of the situation, the official said.
''The wind shear alert system is not a requirement for an international aviation standard,'' he said.
A pilot of Thai Airways International (THAI), who asked not to be named, agreed with Mr Wuttichai, saying the wind shear detection system was not crucial for landing or take-off.
Most passenger aircraft nowadays were equipped with their own wind detection equipment, which the pilot could refer to, he said.
Transport permanent secretary Chaisawat Kittipornpaiboon, who is heading the inquiry into the disaster, said wind shear had not been ruled out and it had been the cause of several major airline accidents.
Transport and aviation authorities yesterday appealed to the public not to point the finger at Arief Mulyadi, the chief pilot on the fatal flight.
Chaisak Ungsuwan, director-general of the Civil Aviation Department, said no judgement should be passed before the information on the cockpit voice recorder and the flight data recorder had been analysed.
The recorders, which were retrieved from the wreckage of the plane, were being sent to the United States for analysis, he said. The McDonnell Douglas MD-82 was made in the US.
''I do not want to see any blame heaped on the pilot or any other party involved because it is not fair. We should wait for the results of the examination of the data recorders,'' said Mr Chaisak.
Khajit Hapnanont, chief executive officer of One-Two-Go Airlines, echoed the appeal. He insisted the airline's safety was not lax and that Mr Mulyadi was one of the company's best.
Mr Chaisak, quoting a recorded conversation between the pilot and the flight tower, said flight OG 269 requested landing permission and inquired about weather and wind speed about four minutes after an aircraft owned by Orient Thai Airlines, which owns One-Two-Go, landed safely.
He said flight OG 269 also acknowledged that wind shear had been reported by the other plane before asking for landing approval.
Khanit Promsathit, a THAI pilot, said Phuket airport is a difficult place to land especially at night or in bad weather.
Two critically injured passengers were yesterday flown to a hospital in Bangkok for intensive burn treatment.
Phuket public health office chief Wanchai Sattayawuthiwong said Chainarong Maharae, 38, chief of Bang Muang tambon administration organisation in Phangnga and Ms Bethan Jones, 22, a Briton, sustained 40-60% burns and were transferred to a Bangkok hospital.
Pol Col Pornprasert Kanjanarin, deputy chief of the Foreign Affairs Division, said 36 bodies of Thai victims had been claimed by relatives.
Forensic officials had identified 20 out of the 53 foreigners killed.
I snicker when trying to pronounce the name of the airport...but, hey I am childish sometimes.
An official at Phuket airport who declined to be named told the Bangkok Post that the system run by the Meteorological Department had not functioned for months.
Anyone surprised?
Pretty busy airport. It is a very popular tourist destination.
Flew over the place dozens of times. Never landed.
As a pilot, I would want to know the status of the alert system before landing. Sounds like they may have landed in very difficult conditions as opposed to possibly waiting the bad weather out.
Yes most modern nav systems give a wind readout. It is not instanteous but pretty good under all but the most demanding conditions (just when you might want it).
As US investigators are on scene I would anticipate the truth emerging in post-accident analysis. Having flown that model aircraft—it is a relatively narrow gear design which mandates very careful use of thrust reverser operation to avoid nasty runway excursions. Curious if the runway was crowned and grooved—but not such that I would research it.
(Sigh) Nope.
Sheer = shear.
IBTT?
It’s pronounced poo-KETT
I met a guy in Thailand back in 1977. He was later in a plane crash outside Bangkok. He survived, but was busted up pretty good. As he was laying in a rice paddy near the airport awaiting aid, someone stole his shoes and socks.
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