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Better co-ordination between pilots, ATC stressed to ensure safety
KATHMANDU, DEC 29 - At a time the when the pilots abandoned the number of flights due to the winter fogs, the lack of their co-ordination with the Air Traffic Controller (ATCs) has further threatened the aviation safety.
And if the proceedings of ATC/Pilot interaction programme suggest something, then another worse day might knock passengers anytime in the future unless adequate precautions are not taken and proper co-ordination between the two is not maintained.
"In number of cases, pilots spell aviation language wrongly and this creates confusion among the ATCs," said AB Mool of the Flights Operations Department of Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA).
In addition to wrongly spelled codes, they are not particular in the position reporting, especially when reporting abeam or south of track or north of track; Mool added requesting the pilots to be particular during the flights.
Mool was presenting a paper on the ATC officer’s side in today’s interaction programme that was organised by the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal to ensure better co-ordination between the two for flight safety.According to officials, the total flight movement has increased by almost 21 per cent in the last two months when compared to the similar period last year, resulting a VHF (Very High Frequency) jamming. "It is therefore co-ordination is more important to ensure better flight safety," they said.
Speaking on the occasion, Captain KB Poudel of the Royal Nepal Airlines Corporation (RNAC) said that there is a need of proper reporting on the weather conditions.
"ATIS and RBR both are non-functional to weather reporting," he said.
He further added, the Precision Approach Path Indicator (PAPI) light has been malfunctioning at the TIA since long and this has made them difficult to aim the landing position.
"We cannot rely on the PAPI light now a days," he added.
Captain SB Bhattarai, of the Buddha Air pointed out that need of standard for visibility measurement for the Instrumental fling rules (IFR). "The visibility depends on person to person, which cannot be justifiable," he said.
The programme was aimed at ensuring better communication between Air Traffic Controller (ATC) officers and Pilots for safe flight operations.
"The interaction would help in carrying out safety oversights audits as recommended by International Civil Aviation Authority (CAAN)’s international guidelines," Rajesh Raj Dali, Deputy Director General of CAAN.Minister for Culture Tourism and Civil Aviation Survendranath Sukla addressing the inauguration ceremony of the programme highlighted the need for the proper co-ordination between the pilots and the ATC officials
"Decisions are made in fraction of seconds and those fraction of seconds that will decide if an aircraft would land safely or not," Sukla said adding that it is therefore much necessary to ensure better co-ordination between them.
Bikash Rana, the president of Airlines Operators Association of Nepal (AOAN) said that the ATC officials should joint with Pilots in brining out the solutions to the problems raised without compromising air safety.
Nagendra Ghimire, Director General of CAAN
and Shanker Ghimire the officiating Secretary at the Ministry were also present on the occasion.Posted on: 2003-12-30 04:38
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