Three illuminated kites flying about 400 meters above the ground were mistaken for drones near Tan Son Nhat International Airport, prompting a temporary halt to takeoffs and landings and affecting 21 flights.
Three kites fitted with flashing lights and flown at night near Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City were initially mistaken for drones, triggering an aviation safety alert and temporarily disrupting airport operations on August 13.
According to a report from air traffic management authorities, at 7:40 p.m., Regional Air Traffic Management Center No. 3 detected an unidentified flying object suspected to be a drone or unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) in the direction of Tham Luong Bridge.
LED-lit kites flown at night at an altitude of around 400 meters were initially mistaken for UAVs near Tan Son Nhat International Airport. Photo: VATM
At around 8:02 p.m., the object was again spotted over Tay Thanh Ward, an area bordering Tan Son Nhat airport.
Given the potential threat to aviation safety, the Southern Airports Authority ordered a temporary suspension of all takeoffs and landings while authorities investigated and assessed the situation.
Aircraft already approaching Tan Son Nhat were instructed to enter holding patterns, while flights preparing for departure remained on the ground.
Although the suspension lasted only about 14 minutes, the disruption affected 21 flights. Four aircraft at Tan Son Nhat had to delay departure, one flight was diverted to Cam Ranh airport in Khanh Hoa Province, while other inbound aircraft were required to circle and wait.
Large kites fitted with LED lights were flown at night near Tan Son Nhat, disrupting 21 flights. Photo: VATM
By around 8:34 p.m., authorities had established that the suspected UAVs were in fact three kites fitted with flashing lights.
The kites had been flown about 2.5 kilometers from the airport and reached an altitude of approximately 400 meters, entering an airspace used by aircraft during their approach and landing procedures.
Local police subsequently documented the violation and took action in accordance with regulations.
The incident came just two days after Tan Son Nhat was forced to suspend operations twice on the evening of August 11 following unauthorized UAV incursions. Those incidents directly affected 73 flights, with aircraft forced to hold in the air, divert to other airports or delay departure.
The successive appearance of unauthorized flying objects, from UAVs to illuminated kites, in areas bordering Tan Son Nhat has heightened concerns over aviation safety, particularly in airspace used by aircraft during takeoff and landing.
Vietnamnet.vn
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