CAA: GA News, "Florida's Martin airport told to close for FAA safeguards"

["Stephen Irwin" <stepheni@xxxxxxxxx>]

Wednesday, October 31 2001 

Martin airport told to close for FAA safeguards
By Gabriel Margasak 
The Stuart (FL) News


Private air traffic into Martin County's Witham Field was halted for at
least a week on Tuesday after the Federal Aviation Administration issued
temporary flight restrictions around nuclear power plants across the
nation.

The order, in response to a security alert issued Monday by the FBI,
restricts all general aviation within a 10-nautical-mile radius of 86
nuclear sites in the nation, the FAA announced.
 
Florida Power & Light's St. Lucie Nuclear Plant on Hutchinson Island,
Turkey Point south of Miami and Crystal River on the Gulf Coast are
among the sites.

Witham Field is more than 10 standard miles from the nuclear plant, but
because a nautical mile is slightly longer than a standard mile, the
airport falls within the restricted zone.

Because of that slight difference, airport officials said they will try
to have the order lifted locally today to return to business.

"We're going to go to work in the morning and try to get ourselves
exempted," said Michael Moon, the county's airport director. "We just
went through a three-week shutdown. It's going to be devastating for the
businesses."

Moon said he might suggest adjusting takeoff and landing patterns to
satisfy the FAA and keep the airport open.

"We're just starting to recover from the last one, and we're getting
into season," Moon said. "When you're in season and you're shutting
down, it really hits the revenues hard."

The airport handles 120,000 takeoffs and landings a year, Moon said.
Emergency units, such as police and medical flights, along with "air
taxi" (an enhanced type of charter operation) will be allowed to operate
with permission from air-traffic controllers.

"This is a temporary flight restriction over power plants for national
security reasons," said FAA spokeswoman Kathleen Bergen. She said the
FAA did not close Witham Field, but issued flight restrictions for
general aviation.

The prohibition is in effect until midnight Nov. 6, according to the
FAA. Bergen declined to explain the order other than to say it was for
"reasons of national security."

Officials at the St. Lucie Nuclear Plant also declined to discuss any
security threats. The restriction requires aircraft flying lower than
18,000 feet to stay outside the 10-nautical-mile radius.

The expanded "no fly" zone around the St. Lucie Nuclear Plant will not
affect operations at St. Lucie County International Airport, airport
director Paul Philips said.

The St. Lucie airport is outside the restricted radius.

The FAA is urging all pilots to check notices at their airports or on
the Internet at http://notamweb.nas.faa.gov

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