Ambulance plane interrupted approach due to drone flight in Båtsfjord – news Troms and Finnmark

On Thursday afternoon, an ambulance plane on its way from Kirkenes to Båtsfjord had to abort its approach. This when what was allegedly a drone was observed out of the window. – It was primarily an ambulance plane that discovered the drone on approach, and made an interrupted approach and went into “holding”, writes Eirik Pedersen, airport manager at Båtsfjord Airport in an e-mail to news. According to Pedersen, a Widerøe plane later arrived from Vardø and received a message from the control tower at Båtsfjord Airport that a drone had been observed. The Widerøe plane then also went into “holding”. – After a while in holding, and good communication with the tower in Båtsfjord, both planes landed safely, writes Pedersen. This is how the Widerøe plane flew from Vardø before this plane was also allowed to land at Båtsfjord Airport. Facsimile: Flightradar24 Incident not verified Operations manager in the Finnmark police district, Jørgen Haukland Hansen, confirms to news that they received notification of the incident. As the police did not succeed in either finding the drone or the drone pilot, they did not succeed in verifying the incident. The police are nevertheless taking a serious view of what is said to have happened. – The police generally take a very serious view of drone flights within the restrictions of the airports. It is not allowed to fly drones within five kilometers of the airport. We in the police will respond to any report about this, says Haukland Hansen. If you are caught flying a drone illegally, the drone will be confiscated and the pilot will be reported, Hansen says. Communications adviser in the Air Ambulance Service HF, Elin Åsbakk Lind, informs news that they have been notified of the incident by their operator Avincis. – The case is followed up in line with established routines for reporting obligations to the Norwegian Civil Aviation Authority. The air ambulance service HF further points to a general increase in the use of drones across the country, and an increasing number of reported incidents where drones pose a risk to flight safety, she writes in an email on Friday evening. Unfortunate incident According to Pedersen, they have not had major challenges with drone flights at the airport in the past. His thoughts on the incident are that it is very unfortunate. – We primarily work with security, and all unwanted incidents; is exactly that, he writes. The airport manager’s request is that everyone who acquires a drone must familiarize themselves with the current laws and regulations. Published 25/10/2024, at 23.06



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