The Problem With Fog in Aviation

Introduction

The world of aviation is very dynamic and poses a lot of risks that are hazardous to our lives. One significant threat is the impact weather, specifically fog and low visibility. We as humans depend our lives on visibility on almost every aspect in life, especially in aviation. The reason fog is so dangerous is because of its significant impact on visibility. Fog can reduce visibility for pilots and air traffic controllers by a large margin. Their visibility can be reduced to as low as just a few feet (Clifford Law Offices, 2020). Many aviation accidents are caused by fog and in fact the most deadliest aviation accident in history was caused by fog when two jumbo jets collided on a airport runway (Clifford Law Offices, 2020). Another reason fog can be dangerous is it may cause an over reliance in technology which can lead to aviation accidents when automated systems or navigation instruments are misinterpreted, malfunction, or when pilots fail to cross-check their instruments with external conditions. Fog is a current weather condition that needs to be taken very seriously and precautions should be strictly exercised or improved in order to maintain safety in aviation.




Fog and the Worst Aviation Accident

The worst aviation accident in history was caused by the combination of many factors but fog was a primary factor in the event. This horrific incident occurred on March 27, 1977 at Los Rodeos Airport (now Tenerife North Airport) on the Spanish Canary Island of Tenerife. After some miscommunications and equipment failure, a Boeing 747 operated by KLM Royal Dutch Airlines attempted to take off while another 747 operated by Pan American World Airways (Pan Am) was still on the runway on its way to exit. By the time the KLM crew saw the Pan Am jet in the fog, it was too late to stop. The KLM plane tried to take off early, but its undercarriage struck the upper fuselage of the Pan Am aircraft, resulting in a massive explosion. A total of 583 souls where lost due to this tragic accident due to the dangerous impact that fog had (HistoryNet n.d.).


Fog Encourages Overreliance in Technology

Technology in aviation is becoming more advance and is slowly making our jobs easier with automated systems. Our direct involvement in our jobs is becoming less because of these new technologies, and the idea of technology reducing our involvement at work makes senses due to the fact that we as humans can make a lot of mistakes, but sometimes our over reliance on automated systems can cost us our lives, especially when fog is reducing visibility. That was the case in the Linate Airport Disaster that occurred in 2001 when a Cessna citation private jet mistakenly taxied onto the wrong runway in dense fog, where it was struck by an SAS McDonnell Douglas MD-87 that was taking off. The Cessna crew and ground control had been relying heavily on outdated ground radar systems and failed to detect the jet's incorrect position. A total of 118 souls were lost on that tragic day (Simple Flying n.d.).



Conclusion

Our planet is very dynamic and can impose many deadly threats in aviation and weather is one of them. Weather is number one when it comes to the cause of accidents. While we don't have the power to control weather like fog, maybe in the future but that's a different topic, we have to deal with this current weather issue by continuing to safely navigate the skies with caution with proper and standard safety procedures, while at the same time not over relying on technology.

Clifford Law Offices. (2020, December 8). The most common causes of aviation accidents. National Law Review. https://natlawreview.com/article/most-common-causes-aviation-accidents

HistoryNet. (n.d.). Disaster on Tenerife: History’s worst airline accident. Retrieved October 3, 2024, from https://www.historynet.com/disaster-on-tenerife-historys-worst-airline-accident/

Simple Flying. (n.d.). Linate Airport disaster: The deadly collision of 2001. Retrieved October 3, 2024, from https://simpleflying.com/linate-airport-disaster/


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