Pilots stressed
By NALINEE SEELAL Wednesday, October 13 2010
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Pilots are under stress to land at the Piarco and Crown Point International Airports because of the poor visibility of the runways due to failing and obsolete airfield lighting systems, president of the Air Traffic Controllers Association Ann Marie Plaza-Hosein disclosed yesterday.
Plaza-Hosein said almost on a daily and nightly basis, pilots complain to air traffic controllers at Piarco International Airport in Trinidad and Crown Point in Tobago about the poor visibility of the runways, and despite requests to have the problems rectified by the Airports Authority they persist.
Plaza-Hosein, who is also a senior air traffic controller, said, “From the operational point of view, there are several problems with the operation of the lighting. We often do not have direct control of these lightings at the runway, and therefore we cannot provide the specific requirements of the pilots who at times request we change the intensity, depending on weather conditions.
“Sometimes it becomes critical when an aircraft is on short final (approach to land) and pilots make a request to change the intensity (of the lights) and we are not able to do so at the tower. We have been experiencing this problem for a long, long time now.”
Sometimes the lights are too bright or too dim, and we are not able to do anything quickly and it makes landing difficult for the pilots.”
Plaza-Hosein said there is an urgent need to upgrade the lighting system at both runways in the interest of safety.
She believes the lighting situation should be remedied as quickly as possible.
A Caribbean Airlines pilot, speaking on the condition of anonymity yesterday, said pilots are greatly stressed when approaching to land at the airports.
“The situation at the two runways is critical, and pilots experience extreme distress when landing. If the situation continues to exist pilots will have no choice but to make representation to not only Government, but to the bodies which could instruct the Airports Authority to have the problem rectified immediately,” said the pilot.
When the weather conditions are bad, coupled with the poor lighting, especially at Crown Point, it makes visibility in terms of landing very difficult and air traffic controllers are called out to assist in any way they can, he said. See Page 13
The pilot said pilots felt some relief when contracts were awarded to upgrade the lighting systems, but with the ongoing controversy and the absence of a board at the Airports Authority, he feels the situation will worsen and Trinidad and Tobago will fail to meet certain safety requirements as stipulated by the Federal Aviation Authority in the United States.
Works and Transport Minister Jack Warner approved two contracts worth $83 million for the upgrade of the approach lighting systems at Piarco and Crown Point airports although a board of the Airports Authority had not yet been appointed.
Warner said he felt the situation was critical and, in accordance with the Constitution’s rules governing the role of a minister, he signed off on the contracts. However, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar overturned his decision and said the contracts will be re-tendered in the interest of transparency.
Newsday exclusively reported yesterday the findings of an evaluation complied by Airports Authority general manager Louis Frederick and senior managers on the conditions of the lighting systems at Piarco and Crown Point detailing occasions in 2009 and this year when services at the airports were disrupted because the lights failed. They said the lighting technology in use was obsolete and noted that the upgrades were mandatory in keeping with international safety standards.
Director general of the TT Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) Ramesh Lutchmedial yesterday maintained his support of Warner’s decision confirming that the upgrades were critical for the safety of lives and aircraft.
Newsday understands that CAA conducts annual certifications and inspections at the runways of Piarco and Crown Point.
The CAA’s certification is accepted by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), and the Airports Authority adopts the specifications and standards of the Federal Aviation Authority in the United States.Lutchmedial said the CAA inspected both runways three months ago and determined that it was necessary to have the lighting systems changed with immediate effect.
He said this is contained in a report compiled by the CAA.
“The lighting system is about 30 years old and obsolete. There are no spare parts for it and therefore it is important for it to be upgraded immediately, and this is why I supported Minister Warner in the award of the contracts for the upgrade of the lighting systems in the absence of a board because it has safety implications,” Lutchmedial said. “The pilots use the lights for guidance for landing in the night and you do not want in the final landing stage of an aircraft for the lighting to fail, and this is something which could happen any day now.”
Lutchmedial said, as a former board member of the Airports Authority, he was in agreement with the decision to have the lighting systems upgraded and was anxious to have that done any day now. Ashworth Jack, leader of the Tobago Organisation of the People (TOP), yesterday said he was very concerned about the poor lighting at the runway of the Crown Point airport, and wants the matter addressed urgently.
“I was told that if the situation is not remedied soon we might not be able to have night flights into Tobago. I have also been told that tendering for the lighting system has gone out on three occasions, and I really hope this is not so. I think whatever needs to be done should be done quickly to alleviate what could turn out to be a disaster, especially for the tourism industry which is already suffering.”
He also said an engineer with experience in lighting for airports met him prior to the May 24 general election and informed him that if the lighting system at the Crown Point airport was not replaced, a disaster may occur. Newsday understands the upgrades of the lighting systems was developed based on the need for the Piarco and Crown Point airports to have properly functioning visual aids for navigation as the existing systems continue to malfunction and the Airports Authority continues to have difficulty in obtaining parts.
Pull quote: “The situation at the two runways are critical, and pilots experience extreme distress when landing.”
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