ATR42 HIT A KITE WHILE ON APCH AT SJU; PR. KITE ALT WAS 750 FT AGL.

Date: 1998-08 · Aircraft: ATR 42 · Phase: approach

Anomalies: inflight-event-encounter-other-unknown|other-unspecified

Synopsis

ATR42 HIT A KITE WHILE ON APCH AT SJU; PR. KITE ALT WAS 750 FT AGL.

Narrative

WE WERE FLYING A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 10 AT SJU USING THE ILS. AT ABOUT 750 FT; I SAW A KITE 1/4 NM DIRECTLY AHEAD AND SLIGHTLY HIGHER. THERE WAS NO TIME TO AVOID IT. IT SEEMED THAT WE PASSED UNDER IT. WE ADVISED TWR OF THE HAZARD. WHEN WE PARKED; I SAW THE RAMP PERSON; WHO PARKED US; PULLING STRING AND KITE DEBRIS FROM THE STARBOARD WING. THERE WAS NO APPARENT DAMAGE TO THE ACFT; BUT WE COULD EASILY HAVE TAKEN IT DOWN THE ENG INTAKE. IT IS COMMON TO SEE KITES FLOWN ON THE APCH TO RWY 10 AT SJU OR NEAR THE DOWNWIND FOR ISLA GRANDE ARPT IN SAN JUAN. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: PLT STATED THAT CHILDREN LIVING IN PR FLY KITES REGULARLY; AND THAT THE ACTIVITY IS MOST PREVALENT ON SATURDAY AND SUNDAY; AND IN THE SUMMER TIME. AREAS AROUND THE SAN JUAN NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE AND AROUND THE FERNANDO LUIS RIBAS DOMINICCI ARPT ARE POPULAR AREAS ALSO. SOME SITES HAVE SIGNS STATING 'NO KITE FLYING;' BUT THESE ARE IGNORED. THE LCL AUTHS SIMPLY DON'T HAVE TIME TO ENFORCE KITE FLYING REGS. THE PLT STATED THAT NO ACTION WAS TAKEN WHEN HE RPTED HIS KITE STRIKE TO THE TWR.

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Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.