Post by stu on Mar 15, 2008 15:16:54 GMT 12
www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/4438128a22400.html
Debris falls from the sky
By LUCY VICKERS - North Shore Times | Friday, 14 March 2008
Jose Ramos got an unexpected fright when he heard the loud clunk of metal hitting the ground outside his Browns Bay barber shop.
He went to pick up the sharp, rectangular object and then looked to the sky and saw a helicopter.
It was 8.50am and there were no cars or people around.
"We were like, what the hell was that? It was so loud, like a spanner dropping," says Mr Ramos.
"It was really dead on the street, so I can’t think of anything else it could have come from."
The Clyde Rd shop is under an aircraft transit lane which runs to North Head and Mr Ramos says there are constantly planes and helicopters flying overhead.
Civil Aviation Authority safety officer Alan Moselen says it is hard to identify where the piece of metal has come from.
He thinks it came from a helicopter but is unsure what part it would belong to.
"It would be difficult to say where it was from without making inquiries."
The metal is quite thick and not able to be bent.
Mr Moselen says it looks like the piece has been cut out deliberately because it has sharp serrated sides.
"I get to see a lot of unusual things. I’ve seen ice fall from a plane but this is the first time something like this has happened."
Mr Moselen says he will make inquiries and the only way to find out what it’s off is to check what aircraft were in the area at the time.
"We’ll put a message out to the pilots but someone’s probably going to find it missing."
BEN WATSON/North Shore Times
STRAY METAL: Civil Aviation Authority safety officer Alan Moselen with the piece of metal he believes fell from a helicopter.
Now I may be mistaken but I'm sure that last time I looked at my chart, the transit lane was offshore.
I stand ready to be corrected.
Chers,
Stu.
Debris falls from the sky
By LUCY VICKERS - North Shore Times | Friday, 14 March 2008
Jose Ramos got an unexpected fright when he heard the loud clunk of metal hitting the ground outside his Browns Bay barber shop.
He went to pick up the sharp, rectangular object and then looked to the sky and saw a helicopter.
It was 8.50am and there were no cars or people around.
"We were like, what the hell was that? It was so loud, like a spanner dropping," says Mr Ramos.
"It was really dead on the street, so I can’t think of anything else it could have come from."
The Clyde Rd shop is under an aircraft transit lane which runs to North Head and Mr Ramos says there are constantly planes and helicopters flying overhead.
Civil Aviation Authority safety officer Alan Moselen says it is hard to identify where the piece of metal has come from.
He thinks it came from a helicopter but is unsure what part it would belong to.
"It would be difficult to say where it was from without making inquiries."
The metal is quite thick and not able to be bent.
Mr Moselen says it looks like the piece has been cut out deliberately because it has sharp serrated sides.
"I get to see a lot of unusual things. I’ve seen ice fall from a plane but this is the first time something like this has happened."
Mr Moselen says he will make inquiries and the only way to find out what it’s off is to check what aircraft were in the area at the time.
"We’ll put a message out to the pilots but someone’s probably going to find it missing."
BEN WATSON/North Shore Times
STRAY METAL: Civil Aviation Authority safety officer Alan Moselen with the piece of metal he believes fell from a helicopter.
Now I may be mistaken but I'm sure that last time I looked at my chart, the transit lane was offshore.
I stand ready to be corrected.
Chers,
Stu.
