Why did it take 2 hrs to spot glass pieces?

Mumbai: In addition to routine interrogation of Blue Dart pilots who operated a cargo flight that damaged 20 runway lights at Mumbai airport on Wednesday and did not report the incident, the aviation regulator began an investigation into why the airport operator took more than two hours to spot the glass shards on the runway.
The cargo flight left for Bangalore at 5.30 am but the airport staff spotted the scattered glass shards only around 8 am.
"According to a standard operating procedure (SOP) the airfield staff should keep a tab on runway surface after every three operations (take offs and landings)," said a senior official with the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).
For more than two hours on Wednesday flights took off and landed amidst glass shards scattered across the runway. It could lead to tyre burst or any other mishap. Also, flights landing on the runway early in the morning depend on runway edge lights because the visibility is usually low.
The SOP is crucial because sometimes aircraft parts fall off on the tarmac while taking off.
11/06/10 Soubhik Mitra/Hindustan Times

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Categories: Airports Jun 2010, Cargo Jun 2010, Safety Jun 2010