Narrative:

During my yrs of flying experience on P-3 orion wing commanders squadron commanding officers prevented pilots from landing NAS midway during the albatross breeding season except for operational necessity. I've had many known bird strikes operating from midway between nov and june. This is an example of today's possible scenario. I'm over the pacific ocean, at night, single engine, on an air carrier flight diverting to my ETOPS emergency divert airport that has fifteen pound-nine foot wing span flying obstacles, which fly day or night. Assume I ingest an albatross into my remaining engine. Do I make the runway or not? A question I'm not willing to test. I hope all parties reading this agree midway island pacific airport should be disqualified as an ETOPS emergency divert airport from nov to june. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: during callback the reporter said that albatross flies both day and night so a night arrival would be the most preferable. This is indicated in approach chart notes. There has been several efforts to relocate or get rid of the birds with no success. The topography of the island was changed at one point to provide soaring areas for the birds away from the runways with limited success. There are an estimated 1.8 million of the birds of which one third return for nesting each yr. The rest of the time they remain at sea. Alternative rtes are usually available providing suitable ETOPS alternates. The economic consideration of these rtes would be a factor that must be weighed against the safety issues.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A RECOMMENDATION TO RESTRICT HENDERSON FIELD ON THE MIDWAY ATOLL (PMDY) FROM USE AN ETOPS ALTERNATE ARPT BTWN NOVEMBER AND JUNE DURING ALBATROSS BREEDING SEASON.

Narrative: DURING MY YRS OF FLYING EXPERIENCE ON P-3 ORION WING COMMANDERS SQUADRON COMMANDING OFFICERS PREVENTED PLTS FROM LNDG NAS MIDWAY DURING THE ALBATROSS BREEDING SEASON EXCEPT FOR OPERATIONAL NECESSITY. I'VE HAD MANY KNOWN BIRD STRIKES OPERATING FROM MIDWAY BTWN NOV AND JUNE. THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF TODAY'S POSSIBLE SCENARIO. I'M OVER THE PACIFIC OCEAN, AT NIGHT, SINGLE ENG, ON AN ACR FLT DIVERTING TO MY ETOPS EMER DIVERT ARPT THAT HAS FIFTEEN POUND-NINE FOOT WING SPAN FLYING OBSTACLES, WHICH FLY DAY OR NIGHT. ASSUME I INGEST AN ALBATROSS INTO MY REMAINING ENG. DO I MAKE THE RWY OR NOT? A QUESTION I'M NOT WILLING TO TEST. I HOPE ALL PARTIES READING THIS AGREE MIDWAY ISLAND PACIFIC ARPT SHOULD BE DISQUALIFIED AS AN ETOPS EMER DIVERT ARPT FROM NOV TO JUNE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: DURING CALLBACK THE RPTR SAID THAT ALBATROSS FLIES BOTH DAY AND NIGHT SO A NIGHT ARR WOULD BE THE MOST PREFERABLE. THIS IS INDICATED IN APCH CHART NOTES. THERE HAS BEEN SEVERAL EFFORTS TO RELOCATE OR GET RID OF THE BIRDS WITH NO SUCCESS. THE TOPOGRAPHY OF THE ISLAND WAS CHANGED AT ONE POINT TO PROVIDE SOARING AREAS FOR THE BIRDS AWAY FROM THE RWYS WITH LIMITED SUCCESS. THERE ARE AN ESTIMATED 1.8 MILLION OF THE BIRDS OF WHICH ONE THIRD RETURN FOR NESTING EACH YR. THE REST OF THE TIME THEY REMAIN AT SEA. ALTERNATIVE RTES ARE USUALLY AVAILABLE PROVIDING SUITABLE ETOPS ALTERNATES. THE ECONOMIC CONSIDERATION OF THESE RTES WOULD BE A FACTOR THAT MUST BE WEIGHED AGAINST THE SAFETY ISSUES.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.