The risk of a plane crashing during take off or landing at Heathrow increases by 60% if there is a third runway.
This astonishing detail was omitted from the Airports Commission Final Report.
The Commission even got the use of the word crash changed from the report that shows the increased risk of a crash.
The commission also got the report not to use risk mapping but to present the risk in statistical format only.
The London Evening Standard has discovered these astonishing details.
The Airports Commission got the study done by the Health and Safety Laboratory but clearly did not like the results.
The Standard shows a series of emails from the Airports Commission to the Health and Safety Laboratory telling it to leave out maps showing the areas at most risk of crashes.
The Commission also had the title changed form Crash Risk Analysis to Ground Risk Analysis.
Why did the Airports Commission do this?
Many feel that the Airports Commission was a ‘fix’ right from the start and that it was set up to deliver a specific result i.e. Heathrow. So anything that gets in the way of that is wrong.
Whenever people mention an increased risk of crashes as a result of the increased number of flights they are silenced.
The reality is that there is an increased risk of crashes if a third runway is built.
The risk is still very, very small, so why cover it up?
Areas affected
The maps would have shown areas affected within 10 km (6.2 miles) of Heathrow.
This covers Feltham, Hounslow, Twickenham, Richmond and Windsor.
The possible flight paths using a three runway Heathrow for some reason are not yet know.
So the areas affected could be larger than this.
The report did not include the risks caused by drones, laser beams and terrorism.
The Mayor of London’s aviation adviser Daniel Moylan told The Standard:
“The risk of a plane crashing into London is mercifully low but it is very strange that the Airports Commission has buried this proof that it will be higher with a third runway than without.”
N.B. Image credit: youtube.com