Levi’s’ Stadium’s bright lights a hazard to pilots
Wednesday, 24 Sep, 2015
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Levi’s Stadium, home of the San Francisco 49ers and host of next year’s Super Bowl, is quite literally causing headaches for pilots landing at nearby San Jose Mineta International Airport.
The Federal Aviation Administration has received at least six complaints from pilots blinded by the bright stadium lights when approaching the airport after dark.
The brightness of the lights causes blind spots and momentarily impairs vision according to a NBC Bay Area news report.
Complaints have described the lights as ‘incapacitating,’ cause headaches and the lights could create ‘flicker vertigo’.
One pilot, Christina Kurowicki, said the brightness was so intense it felt like a targeted laser beam attack.
The FAA has not taken action to force the stadium to dim the lights yet, and said most of the complaints were during flights when the scoreboard was initially being calibrated.
"We have a great appreciation for the FAA and have worked with them to establish protocols and guidelines in the event the boards need to be recalibrated," the 49ers said in a statement.
"Our top priority is always to maintain the highest level of safety and security for all guests visiting Levi’s Stadium as well as the general public."
TravelMole Editorial Team
Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
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