Tall coconut trees threat to planes

Kolkata: If you get a window seat on a flight into or out of Kolkata, you are unlikely to miss the massive coconut groves just before touchdown or takeoff. These groves in Barasat area of North 24-Parganas appear like a wide strip of green carpet spread along the northern end of the airport. The green cover is giving airport authorities sleepless nights.
For, lurking in the thicket are some trees that are taller than the rest and stick out into the flight path, posing a deadly threat to planes.
The latest cartography surveys done by Airports Authority of India at Kolkata reveal that 19 coconut trees had grown beyond the average height to hinder the landing or takeoff path at the Madhyamgram-end. While the average height of coconut trees in the region is 45-50 feet, the survey discovered that some trees had grown beyond 60 feet. That is as high as a six to seven storey building in a zone where construction isn't allowed beyond two levels.
"...We have handed over the aerial survey map to the district administration so that the owners of the particular trees can be identified and action initiated to cut them down," said a senior airport official.
However, the delay in identifying and cutting the trees down to size is a worry for airlines as it comprises flight safety, particularly during winter fogs. "..when an aircraft approaches the runway in poor weather, the pilot flies nearly blind. Any obstruction in the flight path can damage the aircraft, leading to a crash," said a veteran captain.
30/11/10 Subhro Niyogi/Times of India

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Categories: Airports Nov 2010, Safety Nov 2010