Home manage Las Vegas Review-Journal
  Jobs Cars Homes Shopping Travel Weddings Golf Best of Las Vegas Photo   Search:

RECENT EDITIONS
Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue

Breaking News


Safer standards urged after North Las Vegas Airport crashes

The Federal Aviation Administration, for the most part, is already following the recommendations of a 35-page Clark County Aviation Department report released today on crashes involving experimental and other aircraft at North Las Vegas Airport, FAA spokesman Ian Gregor said.

Of the 43 accidents over a 10-year span that resulted in 14 fatalities, most of the accidents — 75 percent — were caused by pilot error.


Most Popular Stories
  • Tourist describes chaos as car plows into Laughlin casino, killing two
  • Tourist describes chaos as car plows into Laughlin casino, killing two
  • Shutting down the Ritz
  • Shutting down the Ritz
  • Former commander of USS Cole considers run against Reid
  • Flood advisory for Las Vegas Valley
  • Son of police officer critical after accidentally shooting himself
  • Son of police officer critical after accidentally shooting himself
  • BUDGET CRUNCH: Schools superintendent says proposed cuts would cost 2,322 teacher jobs
  • BUDGET CRUNCH: Schools superintendent says proposed cuts would cost 2,322 teacher jobs
  • Relatives remember grandmother killed in Laughlin accident
  • Gang member sentenced to prison in 2007 slaying
  • Some community leaders say Goodman overreacted to Obama's latest Las Vegas comment
  • Harrah's gets preliminary approval to acquire Planet Hollywood
  • Harrah's gets preliminary approval to acquire Planet Hollywood




  • The report, prepared by a stakeholders’ group, was called for by state lawmakers to improve flight safety standards after two fatal crashes involving aircraft that hit homes near the airport.

    “The report’s recommendations are common-sense approaches to safety, and we are already doing most of the things that are addressed in the recommendations and that are within our control,” Gregor said in an e-mail.

    His comments and the report came as the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board sought answers about a crash Friday involving an experimental, single-engine Dragon Fly Mark II that was forced to land on Rancho Drive, less than a mile from the airport.

    The plane suffered substantial damage. The pilot, whose name still was not released today, was taken to a hospital with minor injuries. The plane’s one passenger, who was not injured, also was not identified.

    Gregor said there's only one recommendation in the aviation department report that the FAA isn’t following. That one calls for an annual report on enforcement actions against pilots locally.

    “The FAA takes immediate action when we learn about possible regulations violations. However, it is important to remember that pilots accused of violations are entitled to due process,” he said.

    Gregor noted that the FAA banned first-phase flights of experimental aircraft out of North Las Vegas Airport in December. Experimental, or home-built, aircraft are banned from the airport until they have successfully completed the first phase of flight time, which is either 25 hours or 40 hours depending on the engine configuration.

    “We will thoroughly review the report and consider any of the recommendations that are within our purview and that we do not currently have implemented,” he said.

    State Senate Majority Leader Steven Horsford, D-Las Vegas, and Assemblywoman Marilyn Kirkpatrick, D-North Las Vegas, issued a joint statement today calling for affected agencies to heed the report’s recommendations.

    “We urge local and federal officials to follow up on these recommendations and implement those that ensure a safer operation of the airport and protect North Las Vegas and Las Vegas neighborhoods,” the statement reads.

    The report noted that the county’s Department of Aviation doesn’t have jurisdiction to regulate aviation safety, which is the FAA’s responsibility.

    Contact reporter Keith Rogers at krogers@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0308.

     

    Newsvine Digg Fark Technorati reddit StumbleUpon del.icio.us Slashdot Propeller Mixx Furl Twitter MySpace Facebook Google Bookmarks Yahoo! Bookmarks Windows Live Favorites Ask MyStuff myAOL Favorites

    Leave Your Comment 2 Reader Comments
    Terms & Conditions
    The following comments are provided by readers and are the sole responsiblity of the authors. The reviewjournal.com does not review comments before publication nor guarantee their accuracy. By publishing a comment here you agree to abide by the comment policy. If you see a comment that violates the policy, please notify the web editor.

    Some comments may not display immediately due to an automatic filter. These comments will be reviewed within 48 hours. Please do not submit a comment more than once.
    Current Word Count:

    Note: Comments made by reporters and editors of the Las Vegas Review-Journal are presented with a yellow background.

    Micho wrote on November 03, 2009 12:57 AM: The math, science, and engineering community need to stand up here. "Experimental" aircraft are going to kill us all, according to State Senate Majority Leader Steven Horsford, D-Las Vegas, and Assemblywoman Marilyn Kirkpatrick, D-North Las Vegas. But we all know that even the most ambitious rapist or gangbanger will not even be rolling their experimental aircraft out of the hangar.


    mike wrote on November 02, 2009 09:47 PM: I don't think the airport has done anything wrong here it's not the airport that makes planes crash.. most Experimental aircraft are not the type made at home it's a mod. to what the public see's as a normal type of plane.. planes crash about a dozen or so times a day it's just a fact of life. the airport has been here way before the houses were built around it. I would be blaiming the city planner or who ever zoned it ok to build if you want to start pointing fingers.