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TIA Manages Birds To Avoid Problems

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By RAY REYES

rreyes@tampatrib.com

Published: January 16, 2009

TAMPA - Thursday's emergency landing of a jetliner in New York's Hudson River is another example of how dangerous birds can be to aircraft, but Tampa International Airport officials say the airport has taken numerous steps to prevent a similar crash from happening here.

Like LaGuardia Airport in New York, TIA is near water and can attract bird species that prefer rivers, marshes or coastal areas. Robert Burr, director of operations at TIA, said workers use several methods to scare them away, lowering the chances of birds hitting airplanes.

Firecrackers and other noisemakers are common tools, and special pellets are fired to shoo away birds but not harm them, TIA spokeswoman Brenda Geoghagen said.

The airport even uses audio recordings.

"We have distress tapes - sounds of birds in distress," Burr said.

Birds hearing those cries are less likely to roost on airport property, he said.

Different airports use different methods. An airport in Fort Myers uses a specially trained dog that chases birds off runways, Geoghagen said.

TIA, like other airports across the country, has a plan for managing wildlife - birds, in particular, but other animals as well - that is submitted to the Federal Aviation Administration for approval. TIA's plan includes removing trees that attract birds and keeping grass at a certain length to limit bugs that birds find tasty, Burr said.

"It's a balancing act between what's best for the environment" and safety, he said.

Boats, helicopters and personal watercraft would be launched in any rescue effort, he said.

On Thursday, Tampa Fire Rescue officials said their response to an emergency water landing would be immediate and that they are specifically trained for such a scenario. If a plane coming into or leaving TIA crashed into the Gulf of Mexico, Tampa Fire Rescue and the Coast Guard would be the first responders, Burr said.

He said TIA also has an agreement with emergency personnel at St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport, and rafts would be sent from there to the crash scene.

Rescue crews would have some time if the plane was relatively intact when it hit the water, as happened Thursday in New York, Burr said.

"Most planes do float, to a point," he said. "They're hollow. If they're intact, they'll float for a certain time."

Reporter Ray Reyes can be reached at (813) 259-7920.

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