Spate of aircraft incidents near nuclear power plants in recent days

As reported by MyFoxDC News, on Friday, June 24th, an un-manned helicopter made an emergency landing on a reactor building roof after mechanical problems at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Japan.

As reported by KFAB, the Washington County News, and KETV, a manned helicopter, contracted by the Omaha Public Power District to survey the status of electricity transmission lines threatened by historic Missouri River flooding that has also put OPPD's Fort Calhoun atomic reactor at risk, made an emergency landing on Thursday, June 23rd, just 1.5 miles from the nuclear power plant (see photo at left).

As Yahoo News reports:

"The Federal Aviation Administration has issued a Notice to Airmen banning flight around the plant. The ban includes a 2 mi. radius around the plant and a minimum allowed altitude of 3,500 ft. Existing restrictions about flying around all nuclear plants were being ignored by many aircraft and helicopters attempting to photograph the flooding near the plant. OPPD authorities were very concerned that an accident might occur and the FAA assisted the utility by issuing the notice."

And, as reported by the St. Joe, Michigan Herald-Palladium, on Monday, June 20th, an unidentified flying object was spotted very near the Cook nuclear power plant on Lake Michigan in southwest Michigan, prompting a waterborne and airborne search by the U.S. Coast Guard and local sheriff's department.

Aircraft crashes -- whether accidental or intentional -- into "soft spots" located outside primary containment structures at nuclear power plants, such as control rooms, electrical switchyards, or even storage pools for high-level radioactive waste -- present potentially catastrophic radiological risks.

Despite the recent spate of aircraft incidents, the Associated Press reports that Nuclear Regulatory Commission Chairman Greg Jaczko will tour the swollen Missouri River by helicopter in the next couple of days to view flooding countermeasures being carried out at the Fort Calhoun and Cooper atomic reactors.