Local anxiety after plane crash near homes

Amsterdam airport's Polder runway is open again for use, but the people living near Schiphol are still agitated after the plane crash last week. “The plane crashed just 750 meters from a housing estate, that is terrifying.”

The local mayor of Haarlemmermeer, Theo Weterings, called on those living near Schiphol airport, where a Turkish Airlines Boeing 737-800 crashed on the field just in front of the runway, killing nine passengers and crew members on board, “to keep talking to each other about their experiences”. Weterings issued his call on Friday at a closed meeting in Zwanenburg, a village that is situated under the approach routes to two of Schiphol's runways.

Inhabitants of the villages around Schiphol feel a lot less safe since the Turkish Airlines plane crashed. The mayor said that half of all the complaints from people living nearby, who also suffer from noise pollution, concern them feeling unsafe. Normally, only one percent of the complaints have that as a message.

'Out of here'

“The mayor says we're to keep talking about our experiences on Wednesday,” snorted Ans van Gelder after the meeting. “I want only one thing – close that runway.”

Van Gelder is divorced, has one child and works in Amsterdam. “I spent Thursday morning behind the computer. I want to get out of here, and now is a good time to buy a house in Amsterdam, but just try getting rid of your house in Zwanenburg under these circumstances.”

An estimated 250 people had gathered to talk to the mayors of surrounding districts about the crash. It was a closed meeting as emotional reactions were anticipated. “There were definitely some of those,” said Eef Haverkort, member of the Zwanenburg-Halfweg village council. “The plane crashed just 750 meters from a housing estate, that is terrifying.”

According to retired family practitioner Cees van Ojik from Zwanenburg, research has shown that seventy percent of the people living nearby have a latent fear that a plane will crash. There is considerable agitation in the village, says Peter Vreeswijk, chair of the Zwanenburg-Halfweg village council.

Heavily populated area

During the meeting on Friday practical solutions were proposed. It was suggested that the planes could take off from the Zwanenburg and Polder runways in a different way, to avoid flying over the housing estates. “That plan was already agreed with Schiphol, but it was not implemented,” said village council member Haverkort. In his opinion, the accident shows that a new airport should be constructed away from heavily populated areas. Furthermore, according to Haverkort, the economic recession has meant the loss of hundreds of jobs in air traffic control. “They are the ones looking out for our safety. Parliament must put a stop to this.”

During the meeting, mayor Weterings announced that the Polder runway, which had been closed since the accident, would be reopened. Pieces of the plane are still lying in the field as silent witnesses of the crash, but Schiphol claims they form no danger to air traffic.

“How can I tell my kids tonight that nothing will happen, so they can sleep peacefully?” replied one resident. She was told that residents could be given temporary accommodation elsewhere if they wished.