Ho Chi Minh City (VNA) – Police in Binh Hung Hoa ward, Ho Chi Minh City, said on August 14 that they have detained three people for questioning over the release of flying objects that threatened aviation safety and forced Tan Son Nhat International Airport to temporarily suspend take-offs and landings.
The three were identified as Than Van Tan, 42, from Bac Ninh province; Ton Van Chinh, 47, from Hung Yen province; and Tran Vo Hong Phat, 26, from Dong Thap province.
Police found that the three flew three flute kites fitted with flashing lights in an open area within the ward’s Tan Binh Industrial Park on the evening of August 13. Tan said he owns all three kites, and the group met through a Facebook community for flute-kite enthusiasts.
At around 7:40pm on the day, flight-operation units detected unidentified objects, initially suspected to be unmanned aerial vehicles, near Tham Luong Bridge. By 8:02pm, the objects were located in Tay Thanh ward, directly along an approach path used by aircraft preparing to land.
For safety reasons, the Southern Airports Authority ordered a temporary suspension of all take-offs and landings at Tan Son Nhat Airport. Aircraft preparing to land were instructed to enter holding patterns while departing flights were temporarily held on the ground.
Flight operations resumed at 8:16pm after authorities determined that conditions were safe. The 14-minute suspension caused knock-on disruption to 21 flights.
The incident caused authorities to search for the source of the objects, finding three flashing-light flute kites launched from an open area about 2.5 km from the airport. At one point, the kites soared to roughly 400 metres, entering the airspace reserved for aircraft on approach to land.
Officers confiscated all three kites and took the three individuals involved to the station for questioning to determine what, if any, charges were to be laid.
On the evening of August 11, the airport had to suspend take-offs and landings twice after pilots repeatedly spotted unmanned aerial vehicles at altitudes between 550 and 900 metres in the approach area. The incidents affected 56 flights.
Authorities have urged the public to comply with aviation safety regulations and refrain from flying kites or balloons, operating unmanned aerial vehicles, or releasing free-flying objects in areas where they could affect aviation operations, thereby avoiding the risk of causing potentially serious aviation incidents./.
Kites ground flights at Tan Son Nhat as aviation authority calls for stronger UAV controls
Two disruptions in two days at Ho Chi Minh City's main international airport have exposed gaps in early-warning systems and prompted calls for a single lead agency to manage unauthorised aerial objects near airport zones.
