Hazards of “See and Avoid” Flying
08/12/09Family and friends of the people killed in Saturday’s mid-air crash over the Hudson will not be comforted by news that the flights that killed their loved ones operated in a virtual “free for all” zone where all aircraft were operating on a “see and avoid” basis.
On Saturday, August 8, 2009, a Piper PA-32 and a sightseeing helicopter collided over the Hudson River between New York City and Hoboken, New Jersey. All nine people aboard the two aircraft perished. It is unlikely that they saw each other until the collision was inevitable if at all.
Like other congested sightseeing areas where aircraft congregate under “see and avoid” rules, the Hudson River Corridor is quite popular with pilots, but it is a tricky section of airspace that requires constant vigilance and continuous communication with other aircraft that are operating between 1,100 and 1,500 feet of the water’s surface. These aircraft operate by visual flight rules (VFR) that require pilots to maintain separation from other aircraft by sight. Very little support is provided by air traffic controllers. Unless pilots regularly declare their positions and intentions, radios do little to enhance safety in these environments.
The certainty is that the probability of a mid-air collision in airspace like that over the Hudson River or the Grand Canyon or Hawaiian volcanoes is very high. Pilots are in the airspace primarily to see the sights. Some are there with paying passengers as tour operators and others are there because they are enjoying the view or sharing it with their friends or family. Other aircraft compete for the limited airspace and the scenic views. The aircraft are flying at different speeds at different altitudes–all constantly changing. Add to this mix that every aircraft has its blind spots and many of the pilots are flying as single pilots and do not have the benefit of another crew member to work the radio and look out for conflicting traffic.
The tragedy over the Hudson is eerily similar to collisions that have occurred in and around other sightseeing meccas. Regrettably, the ingredients for this tragedy invoke memories of the 1956 Grand Canyon mid-air collision between two airliners which resulted in sweeping changes to the “see and avoid” rules of flight. Similar issues have been raised in the 2007 mid-air collision between news helicopters in Phoenix, where pilots were focusing on a police chase and not the proximity of their helicopters. Similar issues abound in the June, 2003, mid-air collision involving two small Cessna aircraft near Deerfield Beech, Florida, and the collision between two air ambulance helicopters near Flagstaff, Arizona, in June 2008.
Continuing to allow pilots to traverse the Hudson corridor on the assumption that safe separation can be maintained by pilots peering out their windscreens is a fatally erroneous proposition. On a day when nine lives were lost, Mayor Bloomberg worried before press cameras that restrictions on flight operations over the Hudson Corridor would negatively impact commerce in the Big Apple. What about the negative impact on the lives of innocent passengers, Mayor?
The ultimate solution will necessarily involve some combination of altitude restrictions, aircraft restrictions and increased surveillance and involvement of air traffic controllers. Fortunately, modern technology has afforded aviation with the means to greatly reduce the likelihood of mid-air collisions if all aircraft are equipped with state of the art equipment. Unfortunately, most aircraft are not equipped with the latest technology. Managing the risk of mid-air collisions when aircraft are not equipped with collision-avoidance technology comes down to limiting access to the airspace, regulating altitudes and managing air traffic with human flight controllers and radar. That translates to managing and restricting the types and volume of aircraft that can legally operating in an airspace like the Hudson corridor. Crude, distasteful – but necessary.
Until these restrictions are formulated and permanently imposed, more innocent lives will be placed at risk. A scary thought when implementation depends upon the Federal Aviation Administration which has a habit of dragging its feet when prompt action is warranted – or political leverage is exerted by someone like the Mayor of New York. Only time will tell. — Michael Slack
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