"Santa Monica Airport Safety In The News"

March 8 - 14, 2007 Edition

Santa Monica Airport Safety In The News   
By Hannah Heineman
The Santa Monica (CA) Mirror


The City Council decided to delay its recommendation on proposed runway
safety enhancements for Santa Monica Airport until the March 26 Airport
Commission workshop on the proposal. At present, negotiations are still
ongoing between the City and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for
creating Santa Monica Airport runway safety areas. 

Runway safety areas have become necessary due to the increase use of the
Airport by larger and faster aircraft, particularly jets. The problem has
become increasing acute because jet traffic has grown 18-fold since approval
from the FAA was given in 1984. Neighboring residents and others are
concerned that without safety areas a disaster will occur when an aircraft
runs off the runway into the surrounding neighborhood. 

Negotiations with the FAA are necessary because all Airport aviation
activities are under the direct control of the FAA, while the City is
responsible for the maintenance and operation of the Airport. 

City Airport Manager Bob Trimborn explained to the Council that the current
proposal envisions "a 300 foot Runway Safety Area [RSA] on the west end of
the runway with a 250-foot Engineered Materials Arresting System [EMAS] bed
within the RSA." On the east end, a 600-foot RSA would be placed due to the
physical inability to use EMAS on that end. "EMAS is specially prepared
concrete that collapses under the weight of an aircraft in a way that is
designed to slow down and capture an aircraft overrunning the end of a
runway without loss of life or property. The operational impact on
faster/larger aircraft is unknown at this time." 

The community, especially those who live closet to the Airport in Sunset
Park, took issue with the proposal and complained they were not given the
opportunity to participate fully in its creation. Friends of Sunset Park
(FOSP) President Zina Josephs asked for "equal protection of the residents
on both sides of the Airport." The FOSP position statement notes that, "EMAS
is ineffective against aircraft that have wheels off the ground, that are
veering off course or that are landing short." Therefore, FOSP prefers that
RSAs be established at both ends of the Airport that will provide landing
and departure thresholds of 600 feet. Josephs also requested "if EMAS is
installed it should be paid for by the Airport users" and that "limitations
on aircraft use of Santa Monica Airport are based on aircraft type, weight
and weather conditions, not on pilot discretion." 

Others called for banning jet travel at the Airport altogether. Sunset Park
resident Steven Mark stressed to the Council, "The basis of the negotiations
with the FAA should be to eliminate those jets." 

Resident Peter Donald described Airport jet use as a "convenience for the
corporate and well-to-do travelers" causing "Sunset Park to bear the brunt
of the health hazards."

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