More than 20 airborne close calls were reported in one day across western North Carolina as the state ramped up efforts to help communities affected by Hurricane Helen, federal officials said.
On Sept. 28, nearly 30 airborne close calls were reported in the Tar Heel State, with relief efforts surging 300% since the devastating storm left and federal officials saying the skies were crowded with planes, helicopters and drones. pointed out. CBS reported.
Since then, the area has received significant support from the government, search and rescue flights and the National Guard, said Becca Gallas, director of aviation for the North Carolina Department of Transportation.
Despite efforts to procure supplies on the ground, safety issues in air operations have prompted the Federal Aviation Administration and NCDOT to implement additional measures to reduce the risk of mid-air collisions, especially at smaller airports with limited resources. New regulations have been enacted, she said.
“We want all pilots and aircraft flying critical operations to return home safely at the end of the night,” Gallas said.
CBS reports that the FAA requires pilots and drone operators to obtain approval before using airport facilities or runways, and the designations that require prior permission are currently Asheville Regional Airport and Rutherford Airport. It added that it is currently being implemented at the airport, but could be expanded to other airports.
Other mitigation measures include establishing call-in lines at airports for arriving pilots to schedule landings and supply items for offloading. Establish an overhead corridor for use by civilian aircraft, separate from the lanes used by military search and rescue flights. There are also short-term targeting airspace restrictions in areas where multiple search and rescue aircraft are flying, the report said.
Although the commercial airline was not involved in the close call, Gallas said that while no injuries were reported, there were other incidents where maintenance problems occurred or planes caught fire while unloading relief supplies. I gave an example.
Gallas said two small airports in the region also experienced short-term fuel shortages due to increased air traffic, according to CBS.
A week after the storm, more than 100 people are still missing and feared dead.
As of Friday, the death toll was more than 200 in six states affected by Helen, including in North Carolina, where flooding from the storm devastated entire communities, CBS reported. This includes 114 people.
Helen is now the deadliest storm in the United States since Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
Experts say Helen and other storms over the past week have dumped more than 40 trillion gallons of water into the region.
Victims of the storm continue to struggle to gain access to food, water, electricity and cell phone service.
