A potentially dangerous situation miraculously ended without death or injury on Tanjung Benoa Peninsula in South Bali when a local tourist helicopter made a successful emergency landing on Tuesday, 02 July 2024.
While complete details of the event, including the helicopter operator, remain vague, the Head of the Bali Airport Authority (District IV), Agustinus Budi Hartono, explained to NusaBali.com that his staff had reported how a helicopter flying in the Tanjung Benoa Penninsula had its rotor blades become entangled in the string of a kite, causing the aircraft to make an emergency landing.
Fortunately, none were injured in the helicopter’s emergency landing. At the time of the mishap, it was ferrying passengers from Melasti Beach to the Lembongan Peninsula.
“Based on the chronology of the helicopter’s flight from Melasti Beach to Lembongan Peninsula, the aircraft turned back to base at an altitude of 900 feet, based on reports, making an emergency landing at Lembongan Peninsula at 9:27 a.m. local time on Tuesday, 02 July 2024., said Hartono.
The helicopter was carrying three tourists and one pilot. Like past emergency landings, the helicopter’s blades became entangled with a kite, compelling it to land.
Hartono is calling on the public to spread the word about the danger of kite flying in any area frequented by aircraft. Warnings have also been broadcast to district chiefs and schools in Kuta about the potential threat to aviation posed by kite flying.
A “no kite flying zone” has been in effect for several years, delineated by a 5 km radius surrounding Bali’s Ngurah Rai Airport.
Related Links
Kites Near Bali’s Airport Threatens Safety
Kite Flying A Major Threat to Bali Power
Stay Informed on Bali Tourism-Related News: Subscribe to Bali Update
