Effects of Weather on Aircraft Accidents

Effects of Weather on Aircraft Accidents EFFECTS OF VISIBILITY ON AIRCRAFT MISHAPS IN NIGERIA Efe, S. I. Geography and Regional Planning Department Delta State University, Abraka. ABSTRACT This paper is an assessment of the effects of weather on aircraft mishaps in Nigeria. This was investigated with the aid of data collected from the Meteorological Service Office, Oshodi and the use of questionnaire. The data were analyzed with the aid of mean and multiple regression models. Results suggest that poor visibility (less than l000m) have a significant effect on aircraft mishaps in Nigeria, other casual factors of aircraft. Old age of the aircraft, lack of safe landing equipment amongst others factors of aircraft mishaps. INTRODUCTION There have been several cases of air transportation problems due to poor aviation weather at both international and national airports worldwide. For example, in U.S.A. the weather is responsible for about 33 percent of all aviation accidents while thunderstorms are the commonest cause of flight delays (26 percent). Also, unfavourable winds and wind shear are responsible for 19 percent of flight hold-ups (Hayward and Oguntoyinbo, 1987). But Critchfield (1966) and Smith (1975) have noted the effects of poor visibility on flight operation. For instance. Smith (1975) opined that despite the increasing sophistication of automatic landing equipment, poor visibility from fog and low cloud ceilings is probably the major impediment to air operation throughout the world. In Nigeria, there has been a series of aviation accidents related to poor weather. But the worst aviation fatality occurred in November 1973, when 183 people died in an air crash at Kano airport during the landing approaches o f a pilgrim flight from Jeddah as a thick dust haze persisted. Also Nigeria airways, suspended its flights for one week in January 1983, due to widespread dust haze, and was reported to have lost about 15 million U.S. dollars as a result (Adefolalu, 1984). Studies in this area have been neglected over the years, rather there are concentrations of studies on Harmattan dust haze as seen in the works of Biglestone (1958), Burns (1961), Ireland (1962), Samray (1974), Adefolalu (1968 and 1984); and Dear and Bokop (1996). Even the study by Adefolalu (1984) which appeared more recent in Nigeria only focused on the Bioclimatological aspect of Harmattan dust haze in Nigeria to the neglects of the effects of visibility on flight operations in Nigeria,. In fact, while vagaries of poor visibility on flight operation in Nigeria continued unabated, as highlighted in the Nigerian Guardian November 1996, December 1998 and the Comet February 2000. There are a dwindling number of studies in this area . The reason is not unconnected with the paucity of visibility data as well as inadequate records of flight accidents, delays and cancellations in most Nigerian airports and Meteorological services departments. Even when available, exorbitant fees for their purchase scare researchers away. Thus, there is dearth of information in this aspect of climatology. This study is therefore carried out in Nigeria that is located at the intersection of latitude 4 °N and 14 °N, and between longitude 3 °E and 15 °E. It is characterised with wet and dry season. However, in the coastal belt of Nigeria, wet season spans for 11 — 12 months. OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY This study is aim at assessing the effects of visibility on aircraft mishaps and identifying other factors that causes aircraft mishaps in Nigeria and recommend ways of reducing aircraft mishaps in Nigeria. CONCEPT AND METHODOLOGY The study is based on the concept of visibility. Visibility is the highest distance an individual can see with an unaided Hayward and (Oguntoynibo, 1987). However, in the context of the aircraft operation, it is the highest distant a pilot can see on board (airborne) when taking off with the aid of an unaided eye. Visibility is said to be poor to aircraft operation, when it 100 metres and below (Efe, 1997). There are probably two main source areas for dust harmattan haze that precipitated in poor visibility in West Africa and Nigeria in particular. One is the plains between Bilma and Fays Largeau in Niger and Chad, where fine dust particles are fed to the area by seasonal streams from the Tibesti upland replenishing the dust that is stripped from the surface by the winds. The second originates west of the Ahaggar massif, Tonezrouft in Algeria. From the ‘former’ source is derived the haze that may extend across Nigeria (Hayward and Oguntoyinbo, 1987). It reaches the Niger ian border about 24 hours after leaving the Fays Largeau source Region (Burns, 1961). Reduction of horizontal visibility invariably marks the onset of a spell, which lasts up to 3 — 5 days (Adebayo, 1980). But some spells may persist for up to 10 days, when the adduction of dust is from a â€Å"line† rather than a â€Å"point† source. In such a situation, clearance of the haze may be delayed to an extent that the arrival of another dust spell is not obvious. Persistence of dust haze for more than two weeks may be classified as due to only one spell whereas it could have been due to overlapping spells. This pattern of occurrence is more conspicuous in the southern limits of the dust â€Å"front† which according to Adefolalu (1968), is a feature of Harmattan dust to the South of the Inter-Tropical Discontinuity (ITD). The in-flight observation on four trips between Kano and Lagos made by Adefolalu showed that the dust layer is shallower but thicker in the extreme north (where visibility is poorer) and coastal parts of Nigeria. But higher to t he south of the surface ITD where dynamic instability associated with the monsoon trough (Adefolalu, 1983), at about the 900mb level leads to rising motion which help to distribute the dust within a deeper layers. Over the greater part of Nigeria, however, especially north of the forest zone, the prevalence of mist, most noticeably in the dry season, cannot be explained with reference to atmospheric moisture. In fact, it is more accurate to refer to haze rather than mist, the former term being used to describe visibility impaired by presence of solid aerosols, not liquid. In West Africa, particularly during the pre-rains period, such aerosols may be contributed by bush fire (Crozat et al, 1978), but by far the greater proportion of atmospheric pollutants is dust from the north, associated with the harmattan. The influence of this dust-laden north — easterly airflow, reaches even the Guinea Coast in the period December to February. The data used for this study were extracted from the archives of the Accident Unit of Murtala Mohammed Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, (1987 — 1998) and the use of questionnaire. For this data collection, 1000 metres visibility upper limit is used as visibility induce for aircraft operation, the reason being that visibility higher than 1000 metres though affect aircraft operation, but its effect will not bring the desired delays, cancellation and accidents of aircraft in Nigeria. In Nigeria, there are a total of 14 airports, out of which the Murtala Mohammed Airport Ikeja formed the Central collating centre of aircraft accidents, delay and cancellation. This gave the impetus for the choice of the Ikeja Airport. Other reasons for the choice of Ikeja airport, and the years 1987 — 1998 include reliability, consistency; continuity of records and long range of data. For each year, the total daily, monthly and annual aircraft accident as well as those accidents that are weather relate d was scrutinized. The seasonal occurrence of aircraft accidents was adopted by dividing the months of the year into Wet (April-September) and Dry (October — March) seasons. A total of 14 questionnaires were administered to the 14 accident units of the 14 major airports in Nigeria. This was done to elicit information responses on the major causes of aircraft mishaps in Nigeria. One questionnaire each was therefore, posted to the 14 airports and same number was filled, returned and used for the study. The multiple regression analysis is used to determine the effects of poor visibility on aircraft mishaps, while line graph was used to depict the seasonal pattern of aircraft accidents in Nigeria. DISCUSSION OF RESULTS The result of aircraft accidents from 1987 — 1998 are presented and discussed below. From the table above, a total of 89 cases of aircraft accidents were reported, out of which 45 were weather related; and the total number of casualties were 498. During the period under investigation, the year 1988 recorded the highest rate of aircraft accidents of 14 cases, out of which 9 were caused by poor visibility. This was followed by 1992 (10 cases), 1990, 1991 and 1995 (9 cases each), 1998. (8 cases), 1989 (7 cases); and the lowest rates of accidents occurred in 1993 and 1977 (3 cases), poor visibility was the major causes of 2 cases in the year 1997. Over these years, poor visibility was known to be an inducement of these accidents as shown in the weather related column of table 1. In 1988, the 9 weather related cases of accident out of the 14 total cases reported. occurred during the dry season when the hamattan dust haze was said to be highest in the country. Fog, mist, rain, and strong winds are other weather factors that have contributed to the accident rates over the y ears. Most especially those that happened during the months of April — September, are as a result of foggy and misty weather that could sometimes reduce the visibility to 50m in the morning. For instance as a result of foggy and misty weather on June 26th and 11 July 1991; the Nigeria Airway â€Å"Airbus 310† and Ashaka Cement Cessna Citation 550† crash landed at Murtala Mohammed Airport Lagos, and Company Al — 1. Airport in Bauchi respectively. Causalities were said to be 4 and 261 respectively. This was the worst aviation mishap during the period of this study. It was gathered that 5 airports (Sokoto, Kano, Kaduna, Bauc1à ±, and Lagos) have reported cases of visibility — related accidents. This gives 36% percent of the 14 Nigerian airports. Sokoto recorded the highest accident records of 28 cases, while Lagos with 8 cases, recorded the lowest accidents during the period of study. Looking at the casualty trends, 1991 recorded the highest (267), this was followed by 1996 (168), 1995 (26), 1988 (14), 1993 (9) 1997 (7), 1998 (5), and 1989and 1992 (1 each) being the lowest. However, no casualty was recorded in 1990 and 1993 though there were reported cases of 9 and 3 aircraft accidents. The ADC B727 airline that crashed into the Ejinrim water on November 6, 1996, claiming the lives of 146 passengers and crew recorded the second worst casualties during this period. Experts say fears of blackmail or sanction; poverty and fear of being accused of trying to sabotage the airline and government are part of causes of such dare devil attempts that propel a pilot to fly an aircraft when he knows it is unsafe to do so. Other factors that led to these high accidents rate include mechanical problems pilot errors, faulty landing facilities in our airports; absence of floodlights; and unreliable air control facilities. In fact the control system is so poor that sometimes pilot have to communicate (relate) to each other on weather (visibility and wind speed) situation instead of using the control tower. The result of the correlation analysis model showed that there is a high relationship between poor visibility and aircraft accident reported during these period of study. This is evident from a calculated value of 0.85 (72%) and critical table value of 0.51 at 0.01 Confidence level. Hence one can now say that poor visibility did not only inhibit aircraft operation, but has resulted in most of the aircraft accidents recorded in Nigeria as shown from the 72% explanation of the correlation. While the rest 28% is accounted for by human errors; and unreliable air control facilities and Mechanical problems. Figure 1 depicts the Seasonal Occurrence of aircraft accident from 1987 — 1998. While there were double maximum of aircraft accident occurrence (13) in the month of April and September there is no accident recorded in the month of May. The concentration of fog and mist in the lower surface during the morning hours, in July — September, at times reduces visibility to 50m in Bight of Guinea and Coastal areas (Hayward and Oguntoyinbo, 1987), Human errors form the explanation to the highest accident recorded in the season. However the concentrations of aircraft accidents are more in the dry season (October — March). This is evident in 9, 7, 6, 8, 9 and 5 recorded during this season. In fact while there is virtually no month during the dry season that has less than 5 cases of accidents, there is in the wet season (April — September). This is evident in 13, 0, 4, 6, 9, and 13, recorded during this season. The highest cases of 13 occurrences of aircraft accidents were in the month of September. It is attributed to poor visibility related to heavy rainfall. Causes of Aircraft mishaps in Nigeria Table 2 shows the number of responses to the major causes of aircraft mishaps in Nigeria. Out of the 14 respondents interviewed, all the respondents indicated that poor visibility is a regular cause of aircraft mishaps in Nigeria. This indicates 100% of the respondent. Thus, this is a conformation of the earlier result which show that poor visibility have a significant effects on aircraft accident in Nigeria other factors in decreasing order of responses areas. Lack of regular maintenance (12 respondents); old age of the aircraft (10 respondents); lack of safe landing equipment (9 respondents); human errors (6 respondents) improper reporting system (5 respondents) and fear of blackmail (4 respondents) this showed that all these factor are the major factors that causes aircraft’s mishaps. The result of the multiple regression analysis shows that poor visibility induced 72% of aircraft mishaps in Nigeria. The effects of poor visibility on each of the 5 airports however show that the highest effect was at Sokoto airport with calculated r-value of 0.68, and thus representing 47%. Banchi Kano, Kanduna and Lagos airports, with r-values of 0.67. 0.49 and 0.48, followed this respectively. These shows that poor visibility has exerted 45%, 37%. 24% and 23% effects on the prevalence of aircraft mishaps at Banchi, Kano, Kaduna and Lagos airports respectively. However, summary of ANOVA from the multiple regression analysis shows that poor visibility has strong significant effects on aircraft mishaps in Nigeria during the period of study. This is evident from a calculated F value 4.98 that is greater than the critical table value of 4.39, with 5 under 6 degree of freedom at 0.05 significant level (see table 3). CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION The study revealed that poor visibility has significant effect on aircraft mishaps in Nigeria over the period of study. Apart from poor visibility, other causal factors of aircraft mishaps identified are lack of regular maintenance, old age of aircraft, lack of safe landing equipment, human errors, improper reporting system and fear of blackmail of the pilot. Viewing the monumental loses from aircraft accidents; accident prevention should be a goal sought by everyone in the aviation industry, as well as by the government. The Meteorological Services Department of the Federal Ministry of Aviation should continue to recognise the enormous impact of weather on flying operation, particularly civil and general aviation, and provide services tailored to meet the specific needs of this important part of the aviation sector. Increasing reliance should be placed on automated systems, as opposed to face-to-face briefing services, to deliver meteorological information for flight planning and pilot documentation. It is also essential that up-to-date training and educational material be made available to enable pilots to enhance their knowledge and understanding of aeronautical meteorology and aeronautical meteorological services, so that they can use that information to fly safely and efficiently. Government should encourage the aviation industry by creating an effective incident-reporting programme. This is done by having reporting systems both at the local (i.e. airline, air traffic facility etc.) and national levels, with the local sources forwarding information to the national system. For a more co-ordinated level of operating the Nigerian National Voluntary Incident Reporting System (NNVIRS) should share information at a global level. The modern instrument landing system (ILS) should be installed in major airports in Nigeria. The 19 new Distance Measuring Equipment (DME), very high Omni-directional radio range (VOR) on Doppler VOR and locator Beacons installed at two run ways of the Lagos airports should also be installed at all Nigerian domestic and International airports to boost domestic and international flights. Also, routine maintenance of aircraft should be carried out as and when due. Accidents hardly ever happen without warning. The combination or sequence of failure and mistakes that causes an accident may indeed be unique, but the individual failure and mistake rarely are. Hence poor visibility was identified as a major casual factor that was responsible for the above aircraft accidents in Nigeria. Other contributing factors include; Human error, absence of safe landing equipment, fear of blackmail and lack of regular maintenance of aircraft before they embark on any journey or flight. Finally, it is recommended that accident prevention should be the responsibility of everyone in the aviation industry. REFERENCES Adebayo. S. 1. (1980): Pronounced Dust haze Spell Over Nigeria, 2-11 March, 1971 Pre-WAMEX Symposium. Lagos, 270— 300. Adefolalu, D, 0. (1968): Two Case Studies of the Vertical Distribution of Dust during occurrence of Harmattan Haze over Nigeria. Technical Notes No 21, Met. Department, Lagos, Nigeria, 13 pp. Adefolalu, D, 0. (1983): Weather Forecasting and the Role of Scale hizteraction in West Africa. Arch. Met. Geoph. Bioci. Ser. A32, 103— 117 pp. Adefolalu, D, 0. (1984): On Bio-climatological Aspects of Harmatlan Dust haze in Nigeria. Arch. Met. Geoph. Bioci. Ser. B 33 387 — 404pp. Biglestone, H.J. (1958): Harmattan Haze At Kano British West African Meteorological Services Technical Note. No. 10. Burns, F. (1961): Dust Haze in Relation to Pressure Gradients. Technical Note, No. 11. Nig. Met. Department. 5p. Critchfield, H.J. (1966): General Climatology (2’’ ed.) Prentice — Hall Inc. New Jersey. 420p. Crozat, C. Domergue, J.I. Bandet, J. and Bogui, V. (1978): Influence des Feux de Brousse stir la Compition Chmique des aerosols Atmospheriques en Afrique de l’ouest. Atmos. Envir. 12, 1917 — 20. Dear, J. and Bokor, L. (1996): Meteorological Support to General aviation W.M.O. Bulletin vol. 45, No.2, 151— 156 pp. Efe, S.I. (1997): Analysis of cloud covers over South Western Nigeria. M.Sc. Dissertation in the Department of Geography, University of Ibadan. 1 — 50 pp. Hayward, D. and Oguntoyinbo, J. (1987): Climatology of West African. Hutchrison, London 78 — 81 pp. Ireland, A.W. (1962): Incidence of Harinattan Air at the Surface iii Lagos Area. Tech. Note. Nig. Met. Services. Sarnways, J. (1975): A Synoptic Account of an Occurrence of Dense Harmattan Dust at Kano in February 1974. Savana. Vol. 4, No. 2 187-190.

Angels Demons Chapter 102-105

102 Piazza Navona. Fountain of the Four Rivers. Nights in Rome, like those in the desert, can be surprisingly cool, even after a warm day. Langdon was huddled now on the fringes of Piazza Navona, pulling his jacket around him. Like the distant white noise of traffic, a cacophony of news reports echoed across the city. He checked his watch. Fifteen minutes. He was grateful for a few moments of rest. The piazza was deserted. Bernini's masterful fountain sizzled before him with a fearful sorcery. The foaming pool sent a magical mist upward, lit from beneath by underwater floodlights. Langdon sensed a cool electricity in the air. The fountain's most arresting quality was its height. The central core alone was over twenty feet tall – a rugged mountain of travertine marble riddled with caves and grottoes through which the water churned. The entire mound was draped with pagan figures. Atop this stood an obelisk that climbed another forty feet. Langdon let his eyes climb. On the obelisk's tip, a faint shadow blotted the sky, a lone pigeon perched silently. A cross, Langdon thought, still amazed by the arrangement of the markers across Rome. Bernini's Fountain of the Four Rivers was the last altar of science. Only hours ago Langdon had been standing in the Pantheon convinced the Path of Illumination had been broken and he would never get this far. It had been a foolish blunder. In fact, the entire path was intact. Earth, Air, Fire, Water. And Langdon had followed it†¦ from beginning to end. Not quite to the end, he reminded himself. The path had five stops, not four. This fourth marker fountain somehow pointed to the ultimate destiny – the Illuminati's sacred lair – the Church of Illumination. Langdon wondered if the lair were still standing. He wondered if that was where the Hassassin had taken Vittoria. Langdon found his eyes probing the figures in the fountain, looking for any clue as to the direction of the lair. Let angels guide you on your lofty quest. Almost immediately, though, he was overcome by an unsettling awareness. This fountain contained no angels whatsoever. It certainly contained none Langdon could see from where he was standing†¦ and none he had ever seen in the past. The Fountain of the Four Rivers was a pagan work. The carvings were all profane – humans, animals, even an awkward armadillo. An angel here would stick out like a sore thumb. Is this the wrong place? He considered the cruciform arrangement of the four obelisks. He clenched his fists. This fountain is perfect. It was only 10:46 P.M. when a black van emerged from the alleyway on the far side of the piazza. Langdon would not have given it a second look except that the van drove with no headlights. Like a shark patrolling a moonlit bay, the vehicle circled the perimeter of the piazza. Langdon hunkered lower, crouched in the shadows beside the huge stairway leading up to the Church of St. Agnes in Agony. He gazed out at the piazza, his pulse climbing. After making two complete circuits, the van banked inward toward Bernini's fountain. It pulled abreast of the basin, moving laterally along the rim until its side was flush with the fountain. Then it parked, its sliding door positioned only inches above the churning water. Mist billowed. Langdon felt an uneasy premonition. Had the Hassassin arrived early? Had he come in a van? Langdon had imagined the killer escorting his last victim across the piazza on foot, like he had at St. Peter's, giving Langdon an open shot. But if the Hassassin had arrived in a van, the rules had just changed. Suddenly, the van's side door slid open. On the floor of the van, contorted in agony, lay a naked man. The man was wrapped in yards of heavy chains. He thrashed against the iron links, but the chains were too heavy. One of the links bisected the man's mouth like a horse's bit, stifling his cries for help. It was then that Langdon saw the second figure, moving around behind the prisoner in the dark, as though making final preparations. Langdon knew he had only seconds to act. Taking the gun, he slipped off his jacket and dropped it on the ground. He didn't want the added encumbrance of a tweed jacket, nor did he have any intention of taking Galileo's Diagramma anywhere near the water. The document would stay here where it was safe and dry. Langdon scrambled to his right. Circling the perimeter of the fountain, he positioned himself directly opposite the van. The fountain's massive centerpiece obscured his view. Standing, he ran directly toward the basin. He hoped the thundering water was drowning his footsteps. When he reached the fountain, he climbed over the rim and dropped into the foaming pool. The water was waist deep and like ice. Langdon grit his teeth and plowed through the water. The bottom was slippery, made doubly treacherous by a stratum of coins thrown for good luck. Langdon sensed he would need more than good luck. As the mist rose all around him, he wondered if it was the cold or the fear that was causing the gun in his hand to shake. He reached the interior of the fountain and circled back to his left. He waded hard, clinging to the cover of the marble forms. Hiding himself behind the huge carved form of a horse, Langdon peered out. The van was only fifteen feet away. The Hassassin was crouched on the floor of the van, hands planted on the cardinal's chain-clad body, preparing to roll him out the open door into the fountain. Waist-deep in water, Robert Langdon raised his gun and stepped out of the mist, feeling like some sort of aquatic cowboy making a final stand. â€Å"Don't move.† His voice was steadier than the gun. The Hassassin looked up. For a moment he seemed confused, as though he had seen a ghost. Then his lips curled into an evil smile. He raised his arms in submission. â€Å"And so it goes.† â€Å"Get out of the van.† â€Å"You look wet.† â€Å"You're early.† â€Å"I am eager to return to my prize.† Langdon leveled the gun. â€Å"I won't hesitate to shoot.† â€Å"You've already hesitated.† Langdon felt his finger tighten on the trigger. The cardinal lay motionless now. He looked exhausted, moribund. â€Å"Untie him.† â€Å"Forget him. You've come for the woman. Do not pretend otherwise.† Langdon fought the urge to end it right there. â€Å"Where is she?† â€Å"Somewhere safe. Awaiting my return.† She's alive. Langdon felt a ray of hope. â€Å"At the Church of Illumination?† The killer smiled. â€Å"You will never find its location.† Langdon was incredulous. The lair is still standing. He aimed the gun. â€Å"Where?† â€Å"The location has remained secret for centuries. Even to me it was only revealed recently. I would die before I break that trust.† â€Å"I can find it without you.† â€Å"An arrogant thought.† Langdon motioned to the fountain. â€Å"I've come this far.† â€Å"So have many. The final step is the hardest.† Langdon stepped closer, his footing tentative beneath the water. The Hassassin looked remarkably calm, squatting there in the back of the van with his arms raised over his head. Langdon aimed at his chest, wondering if he should simply shoot and be done with it. No. He knows where Vittoria is. He knows where the antimatter is. I need information! From the darkness of the van the Hassassin gazed out at his aggressor and couldn't help but feel an amused pity. The American was brave, that he had proven. But he was also untrained. That he had also proven. Valor without expertise was suicide. There were rules of survival. Ancient rules. And the American was breaking all of them. You had the advantage – the element of surprise. You squandered it. The American was indecisive†¦ hoping for backup most likely†¦ or perhaps a slip of the tongue that would reveal critical information. Never interrogate before you disable your prey. A cornered enemy is a deadly enemy. The American was talking again. Probing. Maneuvering. The killer almost laughed aloud. This is not one of your Hollywood movies†¦ there will be no long discussions at gunpoint before the final shoot-out. This is the end. Now. Without breaking eye contact, the killer inched his hands across the ceiling of the van until he found what he was looking for. Staring dead ahead, he grasped it. Then he made his play. The motion was utterly unexpected. For an instant, Langdon thought the laws of physics had ceased to exist. The killer seemed to hang weightless in the air as his legs shot out from beneath him, his boots driving into the cardinal's side and launching the chain-laden body out the door. The cardinal splashed down, sending up a sheet of spray. Water dousing his face, Langdon realized too late what had happened. The killer had grasped one of the van's roll bars and used it to swing outward. Now the Hassassin was sailing toward him, feet-first through the spray. Langdon pulled the trigger, and the silencer spat. The bullet exploded through the toe of the Hassassin's left boot. Instantly Langdon felt the soles of the Hassassin's boots connect with his chest, driving him back with a crushing kick. The two men splashed down in a spray of blood and water. As the icy liquid engulfed Langdon's body, his first cognition was pain. Survival instinct came next. He realized he was no longer holding his weapon. It had been knocked away. Diving deep, he groped along the slimy bottom. His hand gripped metal. A handful of coins. He dropped them. Opening his eyes, Langdon scanned the glowing basin. The water churned around him like a frigid Jacuzzi. Despite the instinct to breathe, fear kept him on the bottom. Always moving. He did not know from where the next assault would come. He needed to find the gun! His hands groped desperately in front of him. You have the advantage, he told himself. You are in your element. Even in a soaked turtleneck Langdon was an agile swimmer. Water is your element. When Langdon's fingers found metal a second time, he was certain his luck had changed. The object in his hand was no handful of coins. He gripped it and tried to pull it toward him, but when he did, he found himself gliding through the water. The object was stationary. Langdon realized even before he coasted over the cardinal's writhing body that he had grasped part of the metal chain that was weighing the man down. Langdon hovered a moment, immobilized by the sight of the terrified face staring up at him from the floor of the fountain. Jolted by the life in the man's eyes, Langdon reached down and grabbed the chains, trying to heave him toward the surface. The body came slowly†¦ like an anchor. Langdon pulled harder. When the cardinal's head broke the surface, the old man gasped a few sucking, desperate breaths. Then, violently, his body rolled, causing Langdon to lose his grip on the slippery chains. Like a stone, Baggia went down again and disappeared beneath the foaming water. Langdon dove, eyes wide in the liquid murkiness. He found the cardinal. This time, when Langdon grabbed on, the chains across Baggia's chest shifted†¦ parting to reveal a further wickedness†¦ a word stamped in seared flesh. Angels & Demons An instant later, two boots strode into view. One was gushing blood. 103 As a water polo player, Robert Langdon had endured more than his fair share of underwater battles. The competitive savagery that raged beneath the surface of a water polo pool, away from the eyes of the referees, could rival even the ugliest wrestling match. Langdon had been kicked, scratched, held, and even bitten once by a frustrated defenseman from whom Langdon had continuously twisted away. Now, though, thrashing in the frigid water of Bernini's fountain, Langdon knew he was a long way from the Harvard pool. He was fighting not for a game, but for his life. This was the second time they had battled. No referees here. No rematches. The arms driving his face toward the bottom of the basin thrust with a force that left no doubt that it intended to kill. Langdon instinctively spun like a torpedo. Break the hold! But the grip torqued him back, his attacker enjoying an advantage no water polo defenseman ever had – two feet on solid ground. Langdon contorted, trying to get his own feet beneath him. The Hassassin seemed to be favoring one arm†¦ but nonetheless, his grip held firm. It was then that Langdon knew he was not coming up. He did the only thing he could think of to do. He stopped trying to surface. If you can't go north, go east. Marshalling the last of his strength, Langdon dolphin-kicked his legs and pulled his arms beneath him in an awkward butterfly stroke. His body lurched forward. The sudden switch in direction seemed to take the Hassassin off guard. Langdon's lateral motion dragged his captor's arms sideways, compromising his balance. The man's grip faltered, and Langdon kicked again. The sensation felt like a towline had snapped. Suddenly Langdon was free. Blowing the stale air from his lungs, Langdon clawed for the surface. A single breath was all he got. With crashing force the Hassassin was on top of him again, palms on his shoulders, all of his weight bearing down. Langdon scrambled to plant his feet beneath him but the Hassassin's leg swung out, cutting Langdon down. He went under again. Langdon's muscles burned as he twisted beneath the water. This time his maneuvers were in vain. Through the bubbling water, Langdon scanned the bottom, looking for the gun. Everything was blurred. The bubbles were denser here. A blinding light flashed in his face as the killer wrestled him deeper, toward a submerged spotlight bolted on the floor of the fountain. Langdon reached out, grabbing the canister. It was hot. Langdon tried to pull himself free, but the contraption was mounted on hinges and pivoted in his hand. His leverage was instantly lost. The Hassassin drove him deeper still. It was then Langdon saw it. Poking out from under the coins directly beneath his face. A narrow, black cylinder. The silencer of Olivetti's gun! Langdon reached out, but as his fingers wrapped around the cylinder, he did not feel metal, he felt plastic. When he pulled, the flexible rubber hose came flopping toward him like a flimsy snake. It was about two feet long with a jet of bubbles surging from the end. Langdon had not found the gun at all. It was one of the fountain's many harmless spumanti†¦ bubble makers. Only a few feet away, Cardinal Baggia felt his soul straining to leave his body. Although he had prepared for this moment his entire life, he had never imagined the end would be like this. His physical shell was in agony†¦ burned, bruised, and held underwater by an immovable weight. He reminded himself that this suffering was nothing compared to what Jesus had endured. He died for my sins†¦ Baggia could hear the thrashing of a battle raging nearby. He could not bear the thought of it. His captor was about to extinguish yet another life†¦ the man with kind eyes, the man who had tried to help. As the pain mounted, Baggia lay on his back and stared up through the water at the black sky above him. For a moment he thought he saw stars. It was time. Releasing all fear and doubt, Baggia opened his mouth and expelled what he knew would be his final breath. He watched his spirit gurgle heavenward in a burst of transparent bubbles. Then, reflexively, he gasped. The water poured in like icy daggers to his sides. The pain lasted only a few seconds. Then†¦ peace. The Hassassin ignored the burning in his foot and focused on the drowning American, whom he now held pinned beneath him in the churning water. Finish it fully. He tightened his grip, knowing this time Robert Langdon would not survive. As he predicted, his victim's struggling became weaker and weaker. Suddenly Langdon's body went rigid. He began to shake wildly. Yes, the Hassassin mused. The rigors. When the water first hits the lungs. The rigors, he knew, would last about five seconds. They lasted six. Then, exactly as the Hassassin expected, his victim went suddenly flaccid. Like a great deflating balloon, Robert Langdon fell limp. It was over. The Hassassin held him down for another thirty seconds to let the water flood all of his pulmonary tissue. Gradually, he felt Langdon's body sink, on its own accord, to the bottom. Finally, the Hassassin let go. The media would find a double surprise in the Fountain of the Four Rivers. â€Å"Tabban!† the Hassassin swore, clambering out of the fountain and looking at his bleeding toe. The tip of his boot was shredded, and the front of his big toe had been sheared off. Angry at his own carelessness, he tore the cuff from his pant leg and rammed the fabric into the toe of his boot. Pain shot up his leg. â€Å"Ibn al-kalb!† He clenched his fists and rammed the cloth deeper. The bleeding slowed until it was only a trickle. Turning his thoughts from pain to pleasure, the Hassassin got into his van. His work in Rome was done. He knew exactly what would soothe his discomfort. Vittoria Vetra was bound and waiting. The Hassassin, even cold and wet, felt himself stiffen. I have earned my reward. Across town Vittoria awoke in pain. She was on her back. All of her muscles felt like stone. Tight. Brittle. Her arms hurt. When she tried to move, she felt spasms in her shoulders. It took her a moment to comprehend her hands were tied behind her back. Her initial reaction was confusion. Am I dreaming? But when she tried to lift her head, the pain at the base of her skull informed her of her wakefulness. Confusion transforming to fear, she scanned her surroundings. She was in a crude, stone room – large and well-furnished, lit by torches. Some kind of ancient meeting hall. Old-fashioned benches sat in a circle nearby. Vittoria felt a breeze, cold now on her skin. Nearby, a set of double doors stood open, beyond them a balcony. Through the slits in the balustrade, Vittoria could have sworn she saw the Vatican. 104 Robert Langdon lay on a bed of coins at the bottom of the Fountain of the Four Rivers. His mouth was still wrapped around the plastic hose. The air being pumped through the spumanti tube to froth the fountain had been polluted by the pump, and his throat burned. He was not complaining, though. He was alive. He was not sure how accurate his imitation of a drowning man had been, but having been around water his entire life, Langdon had certainly heard accounts. He had done his best. Near the end, he had even blown all the air from his lungs and stopped breathing so that his muscle mass would carry his body to the floor. Thankfully, the Hassassin had bought it and let go. Now, resting on the bottom of the fountain, Langdon had waited as long as he could wait. He was about to start choking. He wondered if the Hassassin was still out there. Taking an acrid breath from the tube, Langdon let go and swam across the bottom of the fountain until he found the smooth swell of the central core. Silently, he followed it upward, surfacing out of sight, in the shadows beneath the huge marble figures. The van was gone. That was all Langdon needed to see. Pulling a long breath of fresh air back into his lungs, he scrambled back toward where Cardinal Baggia had gone down. Langdon knew the man would be unconscious now, and chances of revival were slim, but he had to try. When Langdon found the body, he planted his feet on either side, reached down, and grabbed the chains wrapped around the cardinal. Then Langdon pulled. When the cardinal broke water, Langdon could see the eyes were already rolled upward, bulging. Not a good sign. There was no breath or pulse. Knowing he could never get the body up and over the fountain rim, Langdon lugged Cardinal Baggia through the water and into the hollow beneath the central mound of marble. Here the water became shallow, and there was an inclined ledge. Langdon dragged the naked body up onto the ledge as far as he could. Not far. Then he went to work. Compressing the cardinal's chain-clad chest, Langdon pumped the water from his lungs. Then he began CPR. Counting carefully. Deliberately. Resisting the instinct to blow too hard and too fast. For three minutes Langdon tried to revive the old man. After five minutes, Langdon knew it was over. Il preferito. The man who would be Pope. Lying dead before him. Somehow, even now, prostrate in the shadows on the semisubmerged ledge, Cardinal Baggia retained an air of quiet dignity. The water lapped softly across his chest, seeming almost remorseful†¦ as if asking forgiveness for being the man's ultimate killer†¦ as if trying to cleanse the scalded wound that bore its name. Gently, Langdon ran a hand across the man's face and closed his upturned eyes. As he did, he felt an exhausted shudder of tears well from within. It startled him. Then, for the first time in years, Langdon cried. 105 The fog of weary emotion lifted slowly as Langdon waded away from the dead cardinal, back into deep water. Depleted and alone in the fountain, Langdon half-expected to collapse. But instead, he felt a new compulsion rising within him. Undeniable. Frantic. He sensed his muscles hardening with an unexpected grit. His mind, as though ignoring the pain in his heart, forced aside the past and brought into focus the single, desperate task ahead. Find the Illuminati lair. Help Vittoria. Turning now to the mountainous core of Bernini's fountain, Langdon summoned hope and launched himself into his quest for the final Illuminati marker. He knew somewhere on this gnarled mass of figures was a clue that pointed to the lair. As Langdon scanned the fountain, though, his hope withered quickly. The words of the segno seemed to gurgle mockingly all around him. Let angels guide you on your lofty quest. Langdon glared at the carved forms before him. The fountain is pagan! It has no damn angels anywhere! When Langdon completed his fruitless search of the core, his eyes instinctively climbed the towering stone pillar. Four markers, he thought, spread across Rome in a giant cross. Scanning the hieroglyphics covering the obelisk, he wondered if perhaps there were a clue hidden in the Egyptian symbology. He immediately dismissed the idea. The hieroglyphs predated Bernini by centuries, and hieroglyphs had not even been decipherable until the Rosetta Stone was discovered. Still, Langdon ventured, maybe Bernini had carved an additional symbol? One that would go unnoticed among all the hieroglyphs? Feeling a shimmer of hope, Langdon circumnavigated the fountain one more time and studied all four fa;ades of the obelisk. It took him two minutes, and when he reached the end of the final face, his hopes sank. Nothing in the hieroglyphs stood out as any kind of addition. Certainly no angels. Langdon checked his watch. It was eleven on the dot. He couldn't tell whether time was flying or crawling. Images of Vittoria and the Hassassin started to swirl hauntingly as Langdon clambered his way around the fountain, the frustration mounting as he frantically completed yet another fruitless circle. Beaten and exhausted, Langdon felt ready to collapse. He threw back his head to scream into the night. The sound jammed in his throat. Langdon was staring straight up the obelisk. The object perched at the very top was one he had seen earlier and ignored. Now, however, it stopped him short. It was not an angel. Far from it. In fact, he had not even perceived it as part of Bernini's fountain. He thought it was a living creature, another one of the city's scavengers perched on a lofty tower. A pigeon. Langdon squinted skyward at the object, his vision blurred by the glowing mist around him. It was a pigeon, wasn't it? He could clearly see the head and beak silhouetted against a cluster of stars. And yet the bird had not budged since Langdon's arrival, even with the battle below. The bird sat now exactly as it had been when Langdon entered the square. It was perched high atop the obelisk, gazing calmly westward. Langdon stared at it a moment and then plunged his hand into the fountain and grabbed a fistful of coins. He hurled the coins skyward. They clattered across the upper levels of the granite obelisk. The bird did not budge. He tried again. This time, one of the coins hit the mark. A faint sound of metal on metal clanged across the square. The damned pigeon was bronze. You're looking for an angel, not a pigeon, a voice reminded him. But it was too late. Langdon had made the connection. He realized the bird was not a pigeon at all. It was a dove. Barely aware of his own actions, Langdon splashed toward the center of the fountain and began scrambling up the travertine mountain, clambering over huge arms and heads, pulling himself higher. Halfway to the base of the obelisk, he emerged from the mist and could see the head of the bird more clearly. There was no doubt. It was a dove. The bird's deceptively dark color was the result of Rome's pollution tarnishing the original bronze. Then the significance hit him. He had seen a pair of doves earlier today at the Pantheon. A pair of doves carried no meaning. This dove, however, was alone. The lone dove is the pagan symbol for the Angel of Peace. The truth almost lifted Langdon the rest of the way to the obelisk. Bernini had chosen the pagan symbol for the angel so he could disguise it in a pagan fountain. Let angels guide you on your lofty quest. The dove is the angel! Langdon could think of no more lofty perch for the Illuminati's final marker than atop this obelisk. The bird was looking west. Langdon tried to follow its gaze, but he could not see over the buildings. He climbed higher. A quote from St. Gregory of Nyssa emerged from his memory most unexpectedly. As the soul becomes enlightened†¦ it takes the beautiful shape of the dove. Langdon rose heavenward. Toward the dove. He was almost flying now. He reached the platform from which the obelisk rose and could climb no higher. With one look around, though, he knew he didn't have to. All of Rome spread out before him. The view was stunning. To his left, the chaotic media lights surrounding St. Peter's. To his right, the smoking cupola of Santa Maria della Vittoria. In front of him in the distance, Piazza del Popolo. Beneath him, the fourth and final point. A giant cross of obelisks. Trembling, Langdon looked to the dove overhead. He turned and faced the proper direction, and then he lowered his eyes to the skyline. In an instant he saw it. So obvious. So clear. So deviously simple. Staring at it now, Langdon could not believe the Illuminati lair had stayed hidden for so many years. The entire city seemed to fade away as he looked out at the monstrous stone structure across the river in front of him. The building was as famous as any in Rome. It stood on the banks of the Tiber River diagonally adjacent to the Vatican. The building's geometry was stark – a circular castle, within a square fortress, and then, outside its walls, surrounding the entire structure, a park in the shape of a pentagram. The ancient stone ramparts before him were dramatically lit by soft floodlights. High atop the castle stood the mammoth bronze angel. The angel pointed his sword downward at the exact center of the castle. And as if that were not enough, leading solely and directly to the castle's main entrance stood the famous Bridge of Angels†¦ a dramatic approachway adorned by twelve towering angels carved by none other than Bernini himself. In a final breathtaking revelation, Langdon realized Bernini's city-wide cross of obelisks marked the fortress in perfect Illuminati fashion; the cross's central arm passed directly through the center of the castle's bridge, dividing it into two equal halves. Langdon retrieved his tweed coat, holding it away from his dripping body. Then he jumped into the stolen sedan and rammed his soggy shoe into the accelerator, speeding off into the night.

What Is Education Important - 2263 Words

What is Education When asking the question what is education? there can be many diverse and correct answers, this is down to the question being philosophical. To be able to find out what education is, understanding philosophy is can be vital. There are many different definitions of what philosophy is, according to oxford dictionary, they define philosophy as it s the use of reason in understanding such things as the nature of reality and existence, the use and limits of knowledge and the principles that govern and influence moral judgement (Dictionary, 2016). The word philosophy is a geek word with the meaning of love of wisdom , philosophers research meaning of concepts to clarify human nature and knowledge (Bates.J et al, 2009). Philosophers that look into education ask many questions to get the definition, aims and purposes of what education is (Bates et al, 2009). Besides knowing the definitions of education, philosophers would not define one correct answer to what education is, philosophers ask questions such as what is? and believe when asking these questions the questioner begins to analyse themselves before being answered (Bailey et al, 2010). However philosophers argue that questions cannot be answered until the questioner has an understanding of philosophy . Basic ideas and concepts such as knowledge, understanding, and truth are all what philosophers look into, by this they explore how we think and assumptions behind out thinking (Bailey.R,Show MoreRelatedWhat Is Education and Why It Is Important?1492 Words   |  6 PagesFor a student like me its ,big ,,,,,,,,,,question WHAT IS EDUCATION AND WHY IT IS IMPORTANT/ Education is is future-oriented - it is about development and growth even when we are studying the past. Thus, as educators, the aspect of thinking we tend to focus upon is learning. 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Analysis Of John Hawthorne s The Scarlet Letter

Hawthorne’s critique on sin, more specifically addressing sin, is clear. Throughout The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne claims that sin should public, and subject to punishment from the public not the individual; Hawthorne clearly evidences this with his depiction of Hester’s rise under the letter, Dimmesdale’s self-inflicted decline, and Chillingworth’s revenge-based transformation. Hester’s sin, in the Scarlet Letter is great. At the beginning of the novel, she commits adultery and is publicly shunned for it. The townspeople, who represent society as a whole in the novel, consider Hester to be a â€Å"brazen hussy†, and treat her accordingly (41). They also consider her â€Å"fantastically embroidered† letter to be â€Å"ignominious† and a symbol of Hester’s â€Å"disgrace† (41,42). Hester, by wearing the letter, feels the wrath of the townspeople, as the narrator describes in Hester’s walk from the prison to the scaffold. Hester, during her walk to the scaffold, feels â€Å" an agony from every footstep†, and â€Å"as if her heart had been flung into the street for them [the townspeople] all to spurn and trample upon† (41). The scarlet letter forces Hester into a suffering and despair; however, her suffering eventually leads to her survival. As the novel progresses, the townspeople becoming more a ccepting of Hester, and slowly begin to accept her. Seven years after Pearl is born, Hester has â€Å"found her place† as a â€Å"rightful inmate†, and become â€Å"so strong† (105, 106). Hester, seven years after herShow MoreRelatedThe Scarlet Letter By Nathaniel Hawthorne1397 Words   |  6 Pages John Graves Professor Connie Caskey English 251: American Literature I 8 February 2016 The Scarlet Letter was written by Nathaniel Hawthorne in 1850 which is based on the time frame of the Puritans, a religious group who arrived in Massachusetts in the 1630’s. 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