NAIA navigation aid breaks down anew

MANILA, Philippines - A piece of navigation equipment at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) broke down at around noon yesterday, only two months after it was repaired.

The very high frequency omni range beacon broke down in July 2010, and was repaired last November after its defective parts were replaced using parts from a cannibalized VOR in Subic and new parts bought from Germany.

The VOR, used in conjunction with distance measuring equipment, provides pilots with bearing information from a fixed point, enabling pilots to navigate at night and during bad weather.

The NAIA’s VOR is due for replacement after being used for 10 years. However, financial constraints prevented the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines from procuring a new one after the CAAP spent P120 million to install an instrument landing system that also broke down after the VOR failed in July last year. The ILS is used by pilots to align the airplane with the runway.

The CAAP has jurisdiction over the maintenance and repair of all navigation equipment in the country, including the NAIA. The agency has issued a notice to airmen, alerting all 180 member-countries of the International Civil Aviation Organization that the Manila VOR is out of commission until further notice.

CAAP chief Ramon Gutierrez said radar controllers direct aircraft up to the end of the runway until they have ILS signals on their cockpit receiver or the runway in sight to assure a safe landing.