Eastern earthquake delays flights
August 24, 2011, 04:36 pm
According to the Associated press, an earthquake delayed flights across the Eastern Seaboard Tuesday. Traffic was completely suspended in New York, Philadelphia, New Jersey, Washington D.C. and Virginia, but delays were relatively short. While some delays snowballed and may have affected flights that evening, the effects were, for the most part, not significant.
"We do have some delays, but the earthquake was a fairly minimal impact," said American Airlines spokesman Tim Smith. "Airplanes are coming and going, but at the New York airports, when you get a delay it tends to stay."
The earthquake forced evacuations at some major metropolitan locations, including air traffic control towers at Kennedy, Newark and Reagan National airports. Its effects were felt most strongly at the epicenter near Richmond, Virginia, rattling a local air traffic control tower in Leesburg.
Although only a handful of flights were diverted and the affected airports were closed for only a short amount of time, the earthquake affected thousands of travelers.
The quake was a reminder of the extreme caution that must be taken when operating an aircraft. A delicate balance of communication and concentration are required, and the potential for an accident, while minimal for a careful and experienced pilot, is always present. Getting good pilots insurance affords an independent pilot the peace of mind he or she needs to fly knowing that proper coverage will be available in the event of an injury or illness.
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