What's the Story With New York City Airspace?

Airline Insiders ^ | 08/10/2009 | Admin

[BigKahuna]

By now, most everybody in the U.S. has seen or heard of the tragic airplane-helicopter collision over the Hudson River in which 9 people (all 3 on the plane, all 6 on the chopper) tragically lost their lives. Eyewitness reports seem to place the blame on the fixed-wing light aircraft (a Cessna), which apparently intruded on the airspace of the helo as the rotary-wing aircraft was merging into the traffic stream that runs up and down the river.

This incident highlights a fact that was just highlighted in certain media reports the other day which laid out the nation's 5 best and 5 worst airports in terms of on-time departures. Unsurprisingly, none of the three major facilities in the New York City region (Kennedy, LaGuardia or Newark) made the good list. All 3 did, however, make the "bad" list.

… Normally, there's hardly a problem once a jetliner can get off the ground and into its assigned corridors. But issues occur whenever light aircraft coming from different directions enter or start leaving what the Federal Aviation Administration calls 'Class B' airspace. It's also a problem when rotary wing aircraft and fixed wing aircraft are maneuvering about within that space, but so far the U.S. regulatory agency for aviation seems unwilling to do much about it, even when an avoidable tragedy such as what just occurred intrudes upon the public's consciousness.

Sadly, neither aircraft was dialed in or listening to a common radio frequency which, if they had been, might have helped to avoid the collision in the first place.

[tired1]

It was a Piper!

[theFIRMbss]

--------------------------------------------------
...New York, in particular, has been known within the industry as pretty much bursting at the seams when it comes to trying to squeeze in all of the aircraft that would like to fly into and out of the area. The aircraft that struck the helicopter (which was flying a pre-established sightseeing route out of Manhattan) was trying to weave its way around the Teeterborough, New Jersey, airport. That airfield is popular with general aviation aircraft owners, all of whom must compete with jetliners in navigating around New York City.

Normally, there’s hardly a problem once a jetliner can get off the ground and into its assigned corridors. But issues occur whenever light aircraft coming from different directions enter or start leaving what the Federal Aviation Administration calls ‘Class B’ airspace. It’s also a problem when rotary wing aircraft and fixed wing aircraft are maneuvering about within that space, but so far the U.S. regulatory agency for aviation seems unwilling to do much about it, even when an avoidable tragedy such as what just occurred intrudes upon the public’s consciousness.

Sadly, neither aircraft was dialed in or listening to a common radio frequency which, if they had been, might have helped to avoid the collision in the first place.
--------------------------------------------------

Sounds like "Be careful
and keep your radio on"
would help stop these things.

[Chewbacca]

New York is a death trap. Stay the hell away from it for your own health and safety.