Blind leading the blind????

[Freddy Forks]

Captured from todays local "comic."

PLANES LAND 'BLIND' IN FOG

PILOTS were forced to land planes 'blind' in fog after crucial radar equipment failed at Luton Airport.

Unbeknown to passengers, aircraft were 'invisible' on a computer screen that is normally used to locate planes when visibility is poor.

Instead, control tower staff had to guide them in by radio alone.

Ground radar is designed to work in conjunction with air traffic controllers who plot a plane's progress by co-ordinates.

Mid-air and runway collisions are avoided this way.

The ground radar system broke down at the beginning of March and took almost a month to repair.


Airport chiefs, who tried to keep the problem quiet, say passenger safety was never at risk because they introduced contingency measures. But when a spokesman was questioned by Luton on Sunday, he refused to say what those measures were.

Spokesman Ian Briggs said: "There was an outage (a period of non-operation) of the radar in March.

"Planes can still land without it because the equipment is not compulsory.

"We implemented contingency measures and these were fully maintained until the equipment was returned to serviceability.

"We can't reveal what these contingency measures were because of aviation security issues."

But a pilot at the airport, who did not want to be named, revealed: "Short of bringing in another radar - which isn't possible - the only contingency plans would have been the control tower relying on talking to pilots to find out their co-ordinates.

"It's basically reverting to the old-fashioned way of landing. Theoretically it is not dangerous but it certainly isn't as safe as having a radar."

Ground radar problems caused one of the worst aviation disasters in recent years when two planes collided on a runway in Milan last October.

The crash, happened when a Scandinavian Airways plane was cleared for take-off in the early hours of a foggy morning. A private jet landed on the same runway seconds earlier and the two planes collided. All 110 people on board the Scandinavian plane died.

Residents living near Luton Airport were horrified when told about the radar problem.

Carol xxxxxx, of xxxxx xxxxx Road, said: "I am shocked. When I got up for work throughout March, I can't remember it not being foggy but planes were still landing.

"If all the equipment, no matter how important or how fundamental, isn't working planes should be diverted for the safety of passengers, crew and residents."

Mark xxxxxx, of xxxxxxxxx Road, added: "Imagine if a plane had crashed. I wonder if we would have been told that the airport's ground radar wasn't working."

Richard xxxx, county councillor for Caddington and Slip End, said: "All planes heading to Luton Airport fly over these two villages. If control staff are restricted on what they can do or see because the radar is out of order, obviously it is of great concern."

Can't win can you!