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KK Airport has no instrument landing system, endangering passengers

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Kota Kinabalu airport to get ILS only by end 2014

 

Commercial and private aircraft pilots landing at the Kota Kinabalu International Airport (KKIA) have to use VOR (VHF Omnidirectional range) and the DME (Distance Measuring Equipment) to guide them until end of 2014 when a new Instrument Landing System (ILS) is installed, says the Department of Civil Aviation (DCA).

 

A DCA press statement issued last night said the installation and commissioning of the new ILS was part of a project package that included civil and electrical works after an opposition MP said the lack of an ILS had delayed landings to Malaysia's second busiest airport.

 

But the department also came out to defend the usage of VOR/DME as it said the procedure is similar to ILS.

 

"This procedure, designed and certified by the Department of Civil Aviation (DCA), permits pilots to approach the runway even in poor weather conditions or at night.

 

"Similar to the Instrument Landing System approach procedure, the VOR/DME approach procedure requires the pilot to sight the runway by a certain height/distance from the runway to continue the landing," the DCA statement said.

 

The department also pointed out that if the pilot was unable to sight the runway, the landing would be discontinued.

 

"It is a standard procedure practised worldwide and therefore certified safe to be used," the statement said.

 

Some commercial pilots have confirmed that there has been delays because the ILS was not commissioned in the KKIA.

 

As a regulator, the DCA said it would not certify KKIA for operational use if the facilities did not fulfil the safety requirements set by the International Civil Aviation Organisation and the Malaysian Civil Aviation Regulations.

 

The DCA also said the lack of ILS should not be compared to the Asiana plane crash at the San Francisco airport last month, noting "suggesting that a similar accident can occur can be very misleading as the causal factors at every accident vary ranging from physical layout of the airport, procedures, the equipment and people".

 

The San Francisco plane crash on July 6 was a result of the ILS being switched off. The system is a ground based instrument, a combination of radio signals and high intensity lighting that provides precise guidance to the pilot when approaching and landing on any runway.

 

PKR deputy secretary-general Darell Leiking said earlier the absence of the ILS had caused many flights to be delayed especially during the rainy season.

 

He said many pilots are finding it difficult to land in bad weather and at night without ILS.

 

He also claimed that the maintenance of the airport was very poor, including non-lighted runways and overgrown grass surrounding the runway, which covers the signages.

 

The KKIA handled 5.8 million passengers in 2011. It is the main international gateway into the state of Sabah and, more generally, the island of Borneo.

 

On Oct 25 last year, the KKIA was closed for a night after the runway lights malfunctioned, forcing several incoming and outgoing flights to be cancelled or rescheduled and leaving many passengers stranded. - August 3, 2013

 

http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/kota-kinabalu-airport-to-get-ils-only-by-end-2014

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Both runways at KKIA have no ILS now?

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I fully agree that ILS should be reinstalled ASAP, however looking at some comments on the other website I think some of the comments signal their (I don't know their background, probably the average Joes) general lack of confidence in piloting skills, to which I find it a bit offensive. As if pilots can't do anything when there is no automation. This is just my thought on this issue.

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"Alif A. F." I fully agree that ILS should be reinstalled ASAP, however looking at some comments on the other website I think some of the comments signal their (I don't know their background, probably the average Joes) general lack of confidence in piloting skills, to which I find it a bit offensive. As if pilots can't do anything when there is no automation. This is just my thought on this issue.

 

I am not sure if you a pilot yourself. There is a distinct difference between ILS and VOR. ILS is a precision approach and VOR is non- precision approach. ILS uses glide slope and localiser for approaches and landings but VOR does not. There are other differences like DH/DA and MDA.

Perhaps, Radzi could explain in details.

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Thanks for the insight. No, I am not a pilot. But, I feel a bit frustated with all these comments which indirectly seem to downplay piloting skills. Clearly the 'no ILS issue' is being exaggerated to certain extent. On the positive note, this issue at least prompt DCA to respond and clarify this issue to allay public concern though.

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It sounds like the NO ILS issue is being politicized, but whatever the case, airline pilots are trained to handle both precision and non-precision approaches. The problem is that pretty much the majority of actual approaches they execute will be ILS. Yes, they may get the odd practices in the sim on non-precision approaches.

 

The concern I have is that commercial pilots nowadays do so much ILS approaches that when a non-precision approaches become necessary, that the skill MAY become rusty, confidence level starts to drop, and now we have a situation where pilots are over-reliant on ILS.

 

I do agree that ILS is good, and nice-to-have. It reduces workload and increases accuracy. But pilots shouldn't count on the fact that there'll always be ILSes every time. What if somed10t smashes into the ILS antenna tomorrow at some other airport? Yes we would like to see the ILS back at KKIA ASAP, but should also embrace the inserviceability of the ILS by practicing more and more non-precision approaches. No two flights are identical and every flight serve to add more experience to the pilots which can only be a good thing.

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It sounds like the NO ILS issue is being politicized, but whatever the case, airline pilots are trained to handle both precision and non-precision approaches. The problem is that pretty much the majority of actual approaches they execute will be ILS. Yes, they may get the odd practices in the sim on non-precision approaches.

 

The concern I have is that commercial pilots nowadays do so much ILS approaches that when a non-precision approaches become necessary, that the skill MAY become rusty, confidence level starts to drop, and now we have a situation where pilots are over-reliant on ILS.

 

I do agree that ILS is good, and nice-to-have. It reduces workload and increases accuracy. But pilots shouldn't count on the fact that there'll always be ILSes every time. What if somed10t smashes into the ILS antenna tomorrow at some other airport? Yes we would like to see the ILS back at KKIA ASAP, but should also embrace the inserviceability of the ILS by practicing more and more non-precision approaches. No two flights are identical and every flight serve to add more experience to the pilots which can only be a good thing.

In my opinion without ILS wont be so much of a safety issue. But definitely a big issue for traffic sequencing aka delay arrivals as I believe vor app need further spacing and unable to have those speed control on app. Now that really affects the efficiency of BKI

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599 potholes = bumpy landing at KK airport

AUDIT REPORT Malaysian motorists are not the ones who have to dodge potholes on a daily basis.

Pilots landing aircraft at Kota Kinabalu International Airport, the auditor-general has found, had to deal with 599 potholes in the runway and taxiway, until these were fixed.

Worse, a pilot quoted in the Auditor-General's Report 2012 complained of difficulty in landing in poor weather, “especially in haze”, as the Instruments Landing System (ILS) has yet to be installed after being bought in June 2008.

The unnamed pilot, who flies with national carrier Malaysia Airlines, told the audit team that the ILS is required for all commercial airlines, and that its absence endangers passenger safety.

The Transport Ministry has countered that the ILS “does not affect the safety of aircraft operations” and that many airports in the world do not have such a system.

Happily, however, the 599 potholes had been patched up as at May 2012 by contractor Global Upline Sdn Bhd (GUSB), although its services were later terminated due to chronic non-performance.

According to the report, GUSB was appointed via direct negotiation for Package 2 of the project, worth RM720 million.

Package 2 was supposed to be completed within 36 months, ending on April 20, 2009, but was not delivered despite more than 1,000 days in extensions of time,

GUSB only completed 1.6 percent of Package 2 in 2010. In 2011, it completed 3.6 percent - a difference of only 2 percent within a year.

The auditor-general said GUSB claimed to face financial constraints, due to an unexpected price hike and risks in earthworks. A sub-contractor also complained of not being paid for seven months.

But this excuse was rejeced by the Transport Ministry, which said USB only managed to complete a little more than half of the work by December 2012, resulting in its services being terminated.

For example, in July 2012, the audit team found large puddles at the apron taxiway and parking apron bay as the area was not paved to specifications.

GUSB was also found to have not properly maintained the water pumps which were meant to pump out water from areas like the taxiway, which is prone to flooding.

The remainder of the work will be completed by a newly appointed contractor.

‘Be firm with AirAsia’

However, the auditor-general found that GUSB had tried to fix the edger light electricity cables on the runway on Oct 5 and 6, even though it was not part of its job scope.

It did not manage to do so due to frequent plane landings, resulting the eventual runway shutdown on Oct 25 and 26 which left 6,000 passengers stranded.

The list of problems with the KKIA project also included environmental and social issues, with construction causing erosion at the nearby beach.

 

The auditor-general stressed that the ministry should be stern with AirAsia and push the airline to move to Terminal 1 of the airport as agreed, and not continue to use Terminal 2.

However, the ministry explained that AirAsia had not moved to Terminal 1 as two taxiways were still under construction and accommodating this would have added to the airline's operational costs.

It said the taxiways are due to be ready this year, and that it will urge AirAsia to move “immediately” then.

 

http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/242714

 

 

 

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ILS is required for all commercial airlines, and that its absence endangers passenger safety.

The pilot not trained for non-precision approaches???

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The auditor-general stressed that the ministry should be stern with AirAsia and push the airline to move to Terminal 1 of the airport as agreed, and not continue to use Terminal 2.

Did AK really agree to move, ever ? When they re-renovated Terminal 2, it was meant to be a permanent LCCT...

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The pilot not trained for non-precision approaches???

 

Maybe his licence reads 'ILS Approaches only', much like the DA class on the Malaysian driving licence :rofl: :rofl:

 

That or whoever wrote the piece took what he said out of context.

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Did AK really agree to move, ever ? When they re-renovated Terminal 2, it was meant to be a permanent LCCT...

If it was meant to be permanent, then they really need to do something about it. At peak periods, it is MUCH worse than the LCCT at KUL. Was practically standing shoulder to shoulder with everybody else at the departure hall as there was practically no room to move when I was waiting for my MYY flight during Msia day. Think of it like your typical pasar malam at KL, but with a view, as the 772 was landing at that time. :pardon:

Edited by Mulyadir Fitri

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Maybe his licence reads 'ILS Approaches only', much like the DA class on the Malaysian driving licence :rofl: :rofl:

Hahaha... good one! :drinks:

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If it was meant to be permanent, then they really need to do something about it. At peak periods, it is MUCH worse than the LCCT at KUL. Was practically standing shoulder to shoulder with everybody else at the departure hall as there was practically no room to move when I was waiting for my MYY flight during Msia day. Think of it like your typical pasar malam at KL, but with a view, as the 772 was landing at that time. :pardon:

 

And to add to that you have to contend with single entry and exit to Tanjung Aru, plus the occasional VIP visit that cripple the road transportation there. The recent Malaysia Day celebration should serve as a disaster not to be repeated again. Road block 5km away at Sutera Harbour Resort and you can't get in. This is crazy man!

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The recent Malaysia Day celebration should serve as a disaster not to be repeated again. Road block 5km away at Sutera Harbour Resort and you can't get in. This is crazy man!

Sad thing is no one ever learn from past experiences, and these things will be repeated again and again here :)

Case in point should be when they decide on hosting major events at Likas Sports Complex with VIPs, VVIPs and the Untouchables in attendance, we the nearby residents have to decide whether to stay put at home or relocate away from the shut down chaos :)

(sorry, OT rant) :D

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