Posted on: Friday, January 10, 2003

FAA bars planes over Waikiki before landing

By Mike Leidemann
Advertiser Transportation Writer

The Federal Aviation Administration has taken steps to prevent aircraft from flying over Waikiki as they approach Honolulu International Airport.

The new restrictions come after a China Airlines 747 flew low one-quarter mile inland over Waikiki Saturday morning, startling residents and prompting dozens of noise complaints.

In a briefing paper issued Monday, the FAA issued instructions that, in effect, keep planes approaching the reef runway from the east over water before pilots are cleared to land by sight rather than instruments.

The China Airlines pilot was operating under such a visual flight clearance when he passed over the commercial and residential districts just before sunrise Saturday.

The new restrictions apply only to flights approaching the airport from the east, an approach that is used during kona winds, the term used for winds that come from the south, southwest or west. Planes landing from the west in normal trade winds still could cross the 'Ewa Plain to land at the airport.

"It sounds like they won't give you a visual approach clearance until you are east of the airport, which is well offshore of land," said a veteran interisland pilot who asked not to be identified because he had not seen the FAA memo. "Most pilots familiar with Honolulu airport have no trouble staying over water until they pass Sand Island."

The FAA said that when China Airlines Flight 018 was about six miles from the runway, the pilot made a left turn toward the airport and proceeded on a path that took the plane about one-quarter mile inside the south shoreline of O'ahu, or over the heart of Waikiki.

"Normally, aircraft remain offshore until approximately two miles from the runway," the FAA said.

The China Airlines plane's path took it directly over a densely populated area, but it remained 1,200 feet above sea level until approximately four miles from the Reef Runway, 26-L, the FAA said.

An air traffic controller at the airport noticed the plane's inland position and asked the control tower if weather was responsible for the unusual route. The weather was mostly clear with scattered clouds and winds of about 14 knots, gusting to 20 knots, the FAA said.

"The approach controller also had the tower controller restress to CAL018 the appropriate runway for landing," according to the briefing sheet prepared by Deborah Saito, assistant air traffic manager at the FAA's Honolulu Control Facility.

The tower controller looked at the aircraft again, determined it was on a level and steady flight path and repeated the wind conditions to the pilot.

"The aircraft made a normal landing," the report concludes.

The information on the flight was released yesterday by Sen. Dan Inouye's office. The FAA office in Honolulu did not respond to numerous calls for comment yesterday afternoon and evening.

After the incident, the FAA staff in Honolulu was given a briefing on safety alerts and standard operating procedures, which call for aircraft to remain on or south of the regular approach to Runway 26-L, which is over water.

All control tower personnel were "provided a face-to-face briefing restricting all IFR (instrument flight rules) aircraft from the north, south and west of the localizer course from the visual approach clearance," the FAA said.

Residents said the unusual flight pattern jolted them out of their sleep, rattled their buildings and filled them with thoughts of a Sept. 11-like terrorist attack.

Reach Mike Leidemann at mleidemann@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-5460.