Where Birds Don't Fly

Lukla Airport in Nepal is said to be the most dangerous airport in the world. The airport is located in the middle of the Himalayas at an elevation 9300 ft, with a 1700 ft runway. The airport is popular because Lukla is the place where most people start the climb to Mount Everest Base Camp. There are daily flights between Lukla and Kathmandu during daylight hours in good weather. Although the flying distance is short, rain commonly occurs in Lukla while the sun is shining brightly in Kathmandu. High winds, cloud cover, and changing visibility often mean many flights can be delayed or the airport closed. Since SMS can be applied in the middle of the Himalayas, SMS can be unconditionally applied everywhere else.  Aircraft can use runway 06 only for landings and runway 24 only for takeoffs. There is no prospect of a successful go-around on short final due to the terrain. There is high terrain immediately beyond the northern end of the runway and a steeply angled drop at the southern e...

Emergencies are events with a major surprise, or an event which we don’t believe to have control over. Emergencies are categorized on a scale at the low end of minor emergencies to the high end of extreme emergencies. Everything else in-between are just emergencies. What once was classified as an emergency could be prepared for and no longer become an emergency, or an overwhelming uncontrollable event. Emergencies are manageable to the degree of preparedness and resources allocated. It is impossible to prepare for all future events, but events which are prepared for will eliminate the surprise of unpreparedness. Even if one cannot prepare for all, one can prepare for selective events. Emergencies, or non-scheduled events, are as unique as each shade of grey.  A rule of thumb is the 80-20 rule that states that 80% of outcomes can be attributed to 20% of the causes for a given event. Generally, the 80-20 rule is used to help identify problems and determine which operating factor...