Las Vegas NowNew Report Targets Safety at NLV Airport
LAS VEGAS -- Investigators are trying to figure out if the pilot of an experimental aircraft hit something before it took off and crashed near Texas Station on Friday.
Authorities say the Dragonfly Mark II aircraft clipped a telephone pole wire, lost power and hit an SUV before crashing on Rancho near Lake Mead. Two people were on board but neither was seriously hurt. The woman inside the SUV was also uninjured.
The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating.
That crash highlights the problems some neighbors say they are having with the North Las Vegas Airport. Two crashes last year prompted state lawmakers to sponsor a study for recommendations to make the airport safer.
The report is 35 pages long. It outlines safety upgrades at the North Las Vegas Airport over a 10-year period from 1999 to 2009. It then goes on to document the 43 accidents that have resulted in 14 deaths.
Some of the recommendations from the report need legislative changes from the county government. Other changes must come from the state and federal level.
It was the crash of an experimental airplane in August of 2008 that sparked the state to pay for the report. The pilot died and so did two people in the home he crashed into just outside the North Las Vegas Airport.
The first recommendation in the report is something Clark County Aviation Deputy Director Rosemary Vassiliadis says her department has been pushing for years - having experimental airplanes banned from taking off at the North Las Vegas Airport.
Read a statement by Senate Majority Leader Steven Horsford and Assemblywoman Marilyn Kirkpatrick
"In our system, we do have an airport out in Jean. We have been very upfront saying that we do feel that types of activity should take place there. We hope that one day it will,'' she said.
Federal law would have to change to make that happen as the FAA regulate what planes can land at airports.
Other suggestions in the report include banning construction near the area, changing zoning to prevent taller buildings and having the airport buy the homes near the airport. The report found 75-percent of the accidents at the North Las Vegas Airport were pilot error. It says an annual list of pilot discipline should be published.
The report is just recommendations and a first step.
Comments Terms of Use: We welcome your participation in our community. Please keep your comments civil and on point. You must be at least 13 years of age to post comments. By submitting a comment, you agree to these
Terms of Service
You must be logged in to leave a comment. Login or register See all comments |
