SYLLABUS SECTION: GS III (TRANSPORT SECTOR)
WHY IN NEWS?
Recently, a SpiceJet Boeing 737800 with 185 passengers was in the climbout phase suffers a bird hit in its left engine it cures BIRD STRIKES AND AVIATION SAFETY.
- In a directive to all airport operators, DGCA has ask to all airports to review their wildlife hazard management plans for within and outside the airfield.
MORE DETAILS:
The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has been collecting bird strike data since 1965,
But it was in 1979 that it requested member states,
To begin reporting bird strikes to aircraft into a data entry,
And retrieval system in India’s National Aviation Safety Plan (20182022), which is in line with ICAO’s Global Aviation Safety Plan,
the DGCA has said that one of the key safety priorities (under the Safety Enhancement Initiatives of the Regional Aviation Safety Plan – Asia Pacific) is looking at wildlife and bird strikes.
RISKS INVOLVED:
- Bird hits are a risk that flight crew have to be constantly ready for, especially during the takeoff phase as the aircraft is fully load and fuelladen.
- It causes damage to engine and damage to the engines can vary with twisted fan blades, blade separation and vibrations.
- There can be damage to the wing surfaces (flaps,spoilers and slats) and the airframe too. This results in huge losses for the airline
RECOMMENDATIONS:
- All areas surrounding an airport ought to be clear of slaughter houses and garbage dumping (factors which can attract wildlife and increase risks).
- Airports are also expect to have incinerators to dispose of garbage remove from aircraft.
- Airlines are suppose to have some standard operating procedures for bird strike prevention.
- Understanding bird behaviour is something crew and operators need to be familiar with
- Each airport in India has its unique ecological setting and therefore the solutions are different.
Read more: UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS
SOURCE: THE HINDU