Crashed helicopters pose threat to Balinese aviation

Despite a long-standing provincial ordinance from 2000 prohibiting kite flying within a 54-kilometer radius of Bali’s Ngurah Rai Airport (Perda No. 9 Pasal 2 pada Perda Nomor 9/2000 tentang Larangan Menaikkan Layang-Layang Permainan Sejenis di Bandara Udara Ngurah Rai dan Sekitarnya), this rule is unfortunately largely ignored and unenforced. Those seeking evidence of a blatant failure by Balinese officials to enforce the laws regarding kite flying and road safety need only look south along an arc stretching east-west from Tabanan-Kintamani-Manggis, all of which fall within the restricted airspace for kite flying.

Unfortunately, there is more concrete evidence of the threat that careless kite flying in Bali poses to aviation safety, namely the downing of two commercial helicopters on July 2 and 19, 2024, when their rotors became entangled in kite lines. While the first incident resulted in an emergency landing, the second caused an emergency landing at Suluban Beach, with a Bell 505 Helicopter causing five passengers and crew to be taken to hospital.

Recent Helicopter Accidents in Bali

Passengers flying in fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters arriving and departing through the Bali airport traffic pattern are often treated to sudden and frightening close-up views of large kites flying in the air near their aircraft. This dramatic situation is further exacerbated by the common local practice of anchoring kites overnight and even for days on end without supervision, posing a persistent and sometimes invisible threat to the safety of any aircraft flying in Bali after sunset.

The Flying Rules: Kiting in Bali

The provincial law promulgated in 2000 establishes specific height levels and spatial boundaries that “obliged” for controlling the interaction of pilots and other flying devices with all forms of commercial aircraft, namely:

• Within a radius of 9 km from Ngurah Rai Airport in Balino kites or “similar aircraft” can be brought into the air.
• No kites or “similar aircraft” can be flown at an altitude of more than 100 meters within a radius of 9 km and 18 km from Ngurah Rai Airport in Bali.
• No kites or “similar aircraft” can be flown at an altitude of more than 300 meters within a radius of 18 km to 54 km from Ngurah Rai Airport in Bali.

To punish

Although enforcement of the kite control laws is likely to be lax, there are official penalties: three months in prison or a fine of 5 million rupiah for any person involved in flying a kite in the prohibited area.

Other aircraft

The restrictions on flying in the “restricted zone” apply to kites, hot air balloons, parasails, ultralight aircraft, drones and even fireworks.

Investigations into both incidents are continuing to determine what, including kite flying regulations, was violated. The head of the Bali Provincial Law Enforcement Authority (Satpol PP Bali), Dewa Nyoman Rai Darmadi has admitted that his teams are often outwitted by residents of the area, who openly ignore kite flying rules.

Somewhat surprisingly, and not least unfairly, Darmadi links the problem to the inability of parents in Bali to control their children. In reality, many kites are joint projects of local communities (banjars) dominated by older men.

Darmadi also admitted that enforcement of kite regulations, if any, is selective. “In fact, at every major international event, we work with the State Power Board (PLN) and the airport authority to check kites. This happens before and after the event,” he explained.

When Satpol PP When they took action against the kites, they discovered that their owners had deliberately tied the kites to trees, and then returned home, leaving the kites unattended for days.

Darmadi added optimistically: “Hopefully all parts of society will participate and play an active role in remembering and caring about kites flying high and how they can endanger air traffic and air transport.”

Are there more serious consequences ahead?

Given the two recent helicopter accidents in Bali, which were attributed to accidental kite launches, and the widespread perception that government measures to reduce kite-related safety risks have been ineffective or inadequate, fears are growing that there could be wider, even international, consequences.

Some aviation industry observers are concerned that the island’s tourism sector could be severely affected if The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) becomes involved or foreign governments that are the source countries for Balinese tourists issue international travel warnings out of an abundance of caution, cautioning against air travel to and from Bali.

Related Links

02 Jul 2024 Kite Downs Helicopter in South Bali

July 19, 2024 Bali Helitour helicopter crashes in Pecatu

Kites at Bali airport pose security threat

Warning: Bali kites can be deadly

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