By ANDREW GROSSMAN WSJ 6/30/11
Just before takeoff Wednesday morning, the Kennedy Airport control tower contacted an American Airlines flight bound for the Dominican Republic with an unusual question:
"There's a report of a turtle on the runway. Do you want to have it removed first?"
The departure was put on hold as an airport staffer was dispatched to pick up the diamondback terrapin that had wandered onto the runway. That scene played out over and over again at Kennedy Airport on Wednesday, as 150 turtles crossed a runway to get to the other side. And to lay eggs.
At first, it was just a trickle of turtles meandering across runway 4-left, which extends out into Jamaica Bay. They were headed from the west side to the east, which features a sandy beach that's an ideal place to lay eggs, said Ron Marsico, a spokesman for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates the airport.
At first, workers tried to remove the reptiles one by one between takeoffs. Pilots and air-traffic controllers at times struggled to suppress laughter as they radioed back and forth about the incursion, according to a recording of transmissions that was posted on liveATC.net.
It was a case of turtle tie-up at JFK Airport Wednesday when some 100 amorous diamondback terrapins had to be removed from a runway as they set off on a spawning mission. Listen to air traffic controllers manage the situation. Courtesy Fox News/ liveATC.net.
The turtle news broke on Twitter Wednesday morning, when JetBlue Airways posted a message on the incident. When users asked why this caused delays, the airline said: "Running over turtles is not healthy for them nor is it good for our tires."
By 9:45 a.m., there were too many turtles. Air traffic was diverted to other runways, Mr. Marsico said. More than a half-dozen employees of the Port Authority and U.S. Department of Agriculture donned gloves and went after the terrapins.
They "picked up said turtles, put them in a pickup truck and speeded them to their destination," Mr. Marsico said.
Turtle incursions at Kennedy Airport are common when it's time for them to lay eggs, Mr. Marsico said. The airport abuts Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, which is home to dozens of animal species that cause occasional nuisances at Kennedy.
Once the reptiles were safely on the beach Wednesday afternoon, the runway reopened. Delays directly attributable to turtles were minimal, Mr. Marsico said.
Just before takeoff Wednesday morning, the Kennedy Airport control tower contacted an American Airlines flight bound for the Dominican Republic with an unusual question:
"There's a report of a turtle on the runway. Do you want to have it removed first?"
The departure was put on hold as an airport staffer was dispatched to pick up the diamondback terrapin that had wandered onto the runway. That scene played out over and over again at Kennedy Airport on Wednesday, as 150 turtles crossed a runway to get to the other side. And to lay eggs.
At first, it was just a trickle of turtles meandering across runway 4-left, which extends out into Jamaica Bay. They were headed from the west side to the east, which features a sandy beach that's an ideal place to lay eggs, said Ron Marsico, a spokesman for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates the airport.
At first, workers tried to remove the reptiles one by one between takeoffs. Pilots and air-traffic controllers at times struggled to suppress laughter as they radioed back and forth about the incursion, according to a recording of transmissions that was posted on liveATC.net.
It was a case of turtle tie-up at JFK Airport Wednesday when some 100 amorous diamondback terrapins had to be removed from a runway as they set off on a spawning mission. Listen to air traffic controllers manage the situation. Courtesy Fox News/ liveATC.net.
The turtle news broke on Twitter Wednesday morning, when JetBlue Airways posted a message on the incident. When users asked why this caused delays, the airline said: "Running over turtles is not healthy for them nor is it good for our tires."
By 9:45 a.m., there were too many turtles. Air traffic was diverted to other runways, Mr. Marsico said. More than a half-dozen employees of the Port Authority and U.S. Department of Agriculture donned gloves and went after the terrapins.
They "picked up said turtles, put them in a pickup truck and speeded them to their destination," Mr. Marsico said.
Turtle incursions at Kennedy Airport are common when it's time for them to lay eggs, Mr. Marsico said. The airport abuts Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, which is home to dozens of animal species that cause occasional nuisances at Kennedy.
Once the reptiles were safely on the beach Wednesday afternoon, the runway reopened. Delays directly attributable to turtles were minimal, Mr. Marsico said.
Good comment from another forum...
