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Aviation expert highlights more issues at Ratmalana Airport following ST story
The bright lights illuminating the solid perimeter wall of the Ratmalana airport are a distraction to pilots landing planes at night, an expert has warned, just weeks after the Sunday Times highlighted the dangers this same wall poses to any aircraft that overshoots the runway and crashes into it.
In May, the Civil Aviation Authority of Sri Lanka was directed by the Prime Minister’s Office to review the safety of the perimeter wall bordering the Galle Road of the Ratmalana Airport because of safety concerns. Some aviators have for years pointed out that the solid wall contravenes International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) recommendations that call for “frangible fencing” (which breaks up into fragments) for perimeters.
Now, a veteran aviator has pointed out that the lights illuminating the ‘04’ runway end (Galle Road side) of the airport could disorient pilots. “Interestingly, many years ago, when a resident down New Airport Road requested the authorities to instal street lights for security reasons, the airport management disallowed it as the lights could disorientate the pilots,” he said, requesting anonymity.
The aviator also highlighted more issues at Ratmalana Airport. A runway has three components, he said: the paved runway, the stopway (aircraft turning area) and an obstacle free area called clearway. “The problem with the Ratmalana Airport is that the stopway and clearway are relatively very small,” he pointed out. “The CAASL has gone on record saying it satisfies the ‘Standard and Recommended Procedures’ (SARPs) of the ICAO,” he said. “However, the UK Civil Aviation Authority has recognised the need for protection against runway overrun over and above the protection recommended by ICAO. This is the real position.”
When an aircraft is rolling down a runway at full throttle and at maximum weight, there can be many reasons for it to overrun the runway, he warned. He was particularly concerned about jet aircraft operations. Ratmanala Airport had begun corporate jet operations recently, and has applied for certification to expand their capability to accommodate bigger aircraft.
“In Jet planes, the pilot is allowed a critical two seconds to decide whether to go [takeoff] or attempt to stop [after an aborted takeoff run],” he said. “According to research done by Boeing in the mid-eighties, if the two seconds are exceeded to initiate a stop, the aircraft will exit the end of the runway at 60 knots (69 mph).”