Birds Threatens Bangkok's New Airport

[george]

Bird migration threat to airport

BANGKOK: -- When the delayed Suvarnabhumi Airport eventually opens, it is likely to face a problem due to the annual migration of tens of thousands of water birds into the area.

The migration season, which begins in October, means the birds - some of which weigh at least two kilograms - could cross the airport's flight path and strike aircraft, a common threat to aviation safety.

Rungroj Chukmongkol, president of the Bird Conservation Society of Thailand (BCST), said that a survey taken early last year recorded about 50,000 migratory water birds, especially of the open-billed variety, living in the airport's surrounding areas. The area, which consists of lowland and agricultural land, offers an ideal environment and plentiful food sources for the birds.

Rungroj said that despite the attempts of Airports of Thailand (AOT) to manage the surrounding environment and drive the migratory birds from the airport's border areas, other residential birds that have their permanent habitats nearby could still fly into the area and cross flight paths.

Tens of thousands of migratory birds normally seek shelter in the airport's vicinity in October and stay until April of the next year. A survey outside the migratory season, however, shows that there are more than 1,000 residential birds in the vicinity of the airport, according to the BCST.

"Only a few months before the airport opening [scheduled for September but delayed due to tardy construction work], I still see hundreds of open-bills flying over the airport area. It is impossible to drive them out easily, especially when we are left only a few months to deal with the problem."

Along with open-billed storks, there are also egrets and cormorants that have inhabited the area for more than 40 years. To drive them out, the AOT would have to build another ideal habitat to attract the residential birds, but this could require more than five years to change their habits, said Rungroj.

Sutat Chimcharoj, deputy vice president of the AOT's Office of Occupational Health and Safety, said the company had hired consultants to undertake research and find a solution. He added that any plans would be carried out before the birds' migratory season in October.

According to AOT statistics, there have been six bird-strike incidents in Thailand that have caused damage to aircraft but no injuries.

Flying Officer Pongsathorn Chankon of the Occupational Health and Safety Office cited the International Civil Aviation Organisation's (ICAO) statistics for 1990 to 1994, which show that almost every part of an aircraft can be damaged by a bird strike and that the most damage occurs with engine strikes, followed by windshield, nose and wings.

Pongsathorn said the AOT implements a wildlife hazard-control programme at all its airports, which will include Suvarnabhumi Airport when it opens.

The programme emphasises environmental management including planting specific kinds of grass in the airport area and keeping it at a length of between 5cm and 10cm to discourage seeds, insects and other food sources that might attract birds. Water reservoirs are also covered or filled.

Trees surrounding the airport must not be higher than five metres and have to allow the passage of light or air in order to discourage birds from building their nests, Pongsathorn said.

"Any birds flying near the runway will be driven away by the use of loud noises such as firecrackers, and airport staff will inspect the area eight times a day in order to drive any birds away."

Pongsathorn added that last month the AOT's consultant company reported that there were only 1,025 residential birds in the area around the airport. However, Rungroj contradicted these reports, saying that it was pointless to survey the bird population in May because tens of thousands of migratory birds already moved to other countries in April.

Visute Acheewaparisut, air transport officer of the Civil Aviation Department, said he was concerned about the problem as an accident could damage the new airport's reputation across the world.

The ICAO will undertake a safety audit at the airport next month, he said. If it finds any problems, the AOT will have to find a practical solution.

The greatest loss of life directly linked to a bird strike was in 1960 at Boston's Logan International Airport. The accident caused by a flock of starlings killed 62 people.

--The Nation 2005-06-10

[Totster]

You would have thought problems like this would have been resolved long before construction of the airport started....

totster

[ovenman]

You would have thought problems like this would have been resolved long before construction of the airport started.... 

Considering the new airport has been in-process since 1960, it's not like the powers-that-be haven't had plenty of time to think about this!

[george]

Birds threat to planes' safety

Govt urged to take action at new airport

BANGKOK: -- The government is being urged by experts to put the potential problem of bird strikes at the new Suvarnabhumi airport on the national agenda.

Speaking at a seminar, Visutr Achiwaparisutthi, an air traffic officer, said the aircraft safety problem posed by birds requires concerted efforts to solve.

Mr Visutr said the area surrounding the Suvarnabhumi airport, in Samut Prakan's Bang Phli district, is a natural habitat for more than a hundred kinds of birds, and some could pose a serious threat to aircraft during take-off and landing.

A bird striking an aircraft is a serious threat to safety, and is especially dangerous if birds are sucked into jet engines during take-off.

Airports of Thailand (AoT) is being criticised for doing little to solve the problem of bird strikes at the new airport, which is scheduled to open on Sept 29.

He cited as an example a municipality-run dump site which is about 4km from Hat Yai airport.

One of the directives of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) prohibits dump sites within a 15km radius of an airport because they are a source of insects and worms, which attract birds in search of food.

''Bird strikes pose a problem at Don Muang airport, but they pose a far more serious problem at Suvarnabhumi airport,'' Mr Visutr said.

The ICAO has recorded 30,500 cases of bird strikes worldwide. Thailand has reported six cases this year but none of them caused any serious damage.

''The best way is to set it as a national agenda so every agency concerned is aware of the problem,'' Mr Visutr said.

Suthas Chimarojana, an AoT official in charge of safety at airports, has defended the AoT's operation concerning bird strikes, saying its work was disrupted by changes in policy on airport construction.

He said the AoT began looking into the problem in 2002, and the New Bangkok International Airport (NBIA) commissioned engineering consultants to study the problem posed by birds and other animals in 2003.

Pongsathorn Chankon, another AoT official in charge of airport safety, said the AoT has taken the problem of bird strikes seriously and has been working on it for over a year now.

''We followed suggestions given by the consultants,'' he added.

''We felled trees and got rid of the weeds in the flight paths. We talked to fish farmers in the vicinity and educated them about the problem.''

He also said test-flights will begin late this month and will provide an opportunity for authorities to assess the situation.

Rungroj Chukmongkol, chairman of the Bird Conservation Society of Thailand, reiterated calls for removal of the ecological system from the vicinity of the airport. He said the new site should be 20km from the airport.

Mr Rungroj said open-bill birds are very dangerous to aircraft, and their population in the area stands at 50,000.

''Migratory birds have gone, but they'll be back here in October _ just a month after the airport opens. It's quite worrying,'' he said.

--The Post 2005-06-10

[billd766]

You would have thought problems like this would have been resolved long before construction of the airport started.... 

Considering the new airport has been in-process since 1960, it's not like the powers-that-be haven't had plenty of time to think about this!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

TIT

Bill

[sriracha john]

USAir Flight 427 was making a routine approach to Pittsburgh International Airport when it suddenly rolled sharply to the left and crashed 23 seconds later.

A voice from the cockpit said, "Oh ... Oh, God ... Traffic emergency ...

Oh, shit ... "

And then nothing.

The words were contained in a transcript made public by the National Transporation Safety Board. The transcript was from conversations recorded Thursday evening at the control tower at Pittsburgh International Airport.

Birds were reported in the area before the crash and are thought to be the likely cause of the accident. Birds can be extremely hazardous to aircraft -- they can crack windshields or be sucked into the engines, causing an engine failure.

And in a different case, this is how hitting a goose at 185 knots can ruin your day:

The main cause for concern, an Asiatic open-billed stork:

[Diggerbasher]

They will probably put the scaring job out for a multi billion baht tender.

[eljeque]

My attempt at humor after my mother being here for 3 months.

If the plane looked that bad, how did the bird look?

If that one bird in the picture is such a problem, why don't they simply go out and catch it?

I honestly did not know that there was much in the way of wildlife left in the country.