Oregon Public Broadcasting

Airports across the state Friday responded to the news of the US Airways accident in New York.

A small company in Bend hopes the incident will encourage airlines to adapt and respond.

Central Oregon correspondent Ethan Lindsey reports.

Scott Philiben is the vice president of Precise Flight, in Bend.

His company works with airplane lights and light bulbs.

Philiben says his mind began to race when he saw TV reports of the plane in the water.

Scott Philiben: “We always, in the back of our mind, knew that it was going to happen. It was inevitable.”

Philiben says birds fly into airplane engines all the time.

His company installs lights on airplanes to prevent precisely that problem.

Scott Philiben: “And you know, it may be this is the sort of thing that is a catalyst for Alaska Airlines to give us a call tomorrow and say, ‘what can you do for us?’”

He says the US Air incident will help encourage awareness.

And he’s relieved he can say that about a close call, where no one died.