FAA and NCDOT Ramp Up Mitigation Efforts for Increased Traffic

Approximately 30 near-miss collisions were reported on September 28 over North Carolina. This can be attributed to the surge of aircraft working to provide relief to Hurricane Helene victims.

The FAA and the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) have detected a 300% increase in air traffic over Western North Carolina following Hurricane Helene.

"When the images of the impact of Helene started to show up on TV screens, there was an outpouring of support and love from communities and people were trying to help get supplies on the ground very quickly, but there were safety issues with the air operations,” commented Becca Gallas, director of the NCDOT Division of Aviation.

On top of these close calls, two private aircraft have been involved in incidents while attempting to drop off supplies. One of these had a landing gear malfunction and the other caught fire, but no injuries were confirmed. Two GA airports also ran out of fuel due to the flood of traffic.

In an attempt to limit traffic flow, the FAA has issued a Prior Permission Required designation for  Asheville Regional Airport and Rutherford County Airport. This requires pilots and drone operators to get permission before using airport facilities or runways.

Further, the agencies have introduced three new risk management strategies in the region. These include setting up call-in lines to schedule landing and unloading, temporary airways for only civilian use, and airspace restrictions to safeguard areas of high military or search and rescue traffic.

These procedures help to prevent GA fields with limited staff from becoming overwhelmed on the ground.

"We want every single pilot and aircraft to go home safely at the end of the night when they are doing that critical operation," Gallas continued.

Around 250 deaths have been confirmed, 114 in North Carolina alone, since Hurricane Helene. This number is only growing with hundreds still missing. Though these relief missions can be dangerous, they are crucial to survivors who currently have no other access to food, water, shelter, or transportation.

FMI: www.flyavl.com