The Tribune

By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Chief Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

TWO potentially catastrophic near-miss incidents involving American Airlines planes at Family Island airports triggered a formal safety warning from the Aircraft Accident Investigation Authority to the Civil Aviation Authority of The Bahamas.

The Tribune has confirmed that the AAIA issued a Serious Safety Concern advisory following two separate incidents at Exuma International Airport and North Eleuthera International Airport, which occurred roughly two weeks apart last month.

An American Airlines aircraft approaching Exuma on February 12 was forced to take evasive action to avoid a departing plane, according to a report referenced by US federal regulators. The sudden manoeuvre injured two flight attendants, who were taken to a local clinic for evaluation. Both were placed on leave.

A second incident occurred on February 24 at North Eleuthera. An American Airlines aircraft was reportedly in position for takeoff when another jet passed overhead while it was still on the runway.

The inbound or overhead aircraft were not included in the report.

The Serious Safety Concern notice, obtained by The Tribune, informed the CAAB that preliminary information suggests proper communication protocols at the uncontrolled aerodromes may not have been followed. It said American Airlines reported that neither aircraft self-announced its position on the correct frequency, a requirement under international aviation standards for airports without control towers.

“As any one of these events could have easily resulted in catastrophic consequences, the AAIA finds it necessary to forward these events to your attention as a Serious Safety Concern,” the notice said.

“By issuing this Serious Safety Concern to you as the State Regulator, the AAIA, in accordance with its mandate, is identifying and highlighting an existing hazard within our local aviation system that requires attention.”

AAIA Chief Investigator Kendall Dorsett Jr confirmed yesterday that both incidents remain under investigation and that the advisory was issued to the CAAB.

“Anytime we observe something within the local aviation industry that is hazardous or could be a potential hazard, we have an obligation to mention this to the Civil Aviation Authority,” he said.

He said the agencies work closely on aviation safety and determined the matter warranted formal notification.

The AAIA acknowledged that operations at busy uncontrolled aerodromes require heightened responsibility from pilots. It said awareness must be raised to implement short-term safety measures while longer-term operational and infrastructural improvements are considered.

Airport workers, speaking anonymously, told The Tribune that such incidents are not uncommon at Family Island airports, most of which lack functional control towers or air traffic controllers.

Mr Dorsett Jr declined to confirm whether reports of near misses have increased, but said: “We are notified of these events when they occur. I’ll leave it at that.”

He noted that airports operating without control towers are common worldwide, including in the United States, and that pilots are responsible for announcing their positions and intentions at such facilities.

“Consider trying to put our air traffic tower at every airport around the world,” he said. “That's impossible, so like I said, it's a standard procedure, because even in the United States, not every airport has a control tower. That’s not feasible in every instance, but the counter is that pilots are aware of procedures at an uncontrolled airport.”

Officials from the CAAB did not respond to requests for comment up to press time.

In the past, the US Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Eastern Regional Task Group has issued recommendations to ‘Improve Operations in the Caribbean.’

“...The lack of live flight tracking within Miami Oceanic (referring to Bahamas sovereign airspace) creates a safety hazard in that flights blindly operating through areas known for significant convection and other adverse weather events,” an FAA Eastern Regional Task Group 2016 report stated, acknowledging that air traffic controllers at FAA’s Miami Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC) have little or no advanced real-time meteorological services across The Bahamas ‘territory.’

-----

If you were a passenger on board one of these flights, please contact The Tribune at newsroom@tribunemedia.net to share your experience.