House Votes to Ban Flights Inside Canyon

The House voted overwhelmingly Thursday to ban civilian aircraft flights below the rim of the Grand Canyon in a move designed to prevent a recurrence of the fatal June 18 collision over the park between a helicopter and light plane filled with sightseers.

The measure, sent to the Senate by a 378-12 vote, would also restrict low-altitude flights over Yosemite National Park in California and Haleakala National Park in Hawaii. Campers and hikers at those popular nature preserves have complained that planes buzzing overhead disturb the serenity of the surroundings.

Rep. Tony Coelho (D-Merced), sponsor of the bill, faulted the Federal Aviation Administration for failing to address longstanding complaints about noise and potential safety problems posed by the growing number of tourist flights over scenic areas.

‘Too Many Flights’

“The beauty of our national parks invites too many flights in a minimum amount of airspace, which is why we need to address these safety and environmental issues,” Coelho said after the vote.

The bill mandates a federal study of the hazards posed by aircraft at other national parks.

The measure was introduced last spring and would have affected only Yosemite and Haleakala. Support for it mushroomed, however, after it was amended to include the Grand Canyon because of the sightseeing crash.

The collision between a Grand Canyon Airlines De Havilland Twin Otter and a Bell Jet Ranger helicopter killed all 25 people aboard the two craft. After studying photographs taken by a tourist on the ground, investigators for the National Transportation Safety Board reported last week that the collision occurred about 6,500 feet above the canyon floor, roughly even with the top of the south rim and several hundred feet below the highest elevations along the north rim.

Flying below the crest of the canyon walls sometimes makes it more difficult for pilots to navigate visually, critics say.

Minimum Altitudes

In addition to banning all but emergency flights below the lowest Grand Canyon rim, the measure imposes a minimum flight altitude of 2,000 feet over the Yosemite canyon floor and a minimum altitude of 9,500 feet above sea level for Haleakala, the site of several volcanoes.

Opponents of the Grand Canyon restrictions said they would harm tourist companies that operate an estimated 50,000 flights there and would deprive many tourists of the opportunity to get a good view of the spectacular natural wonder.

“The national parks of this country should be available to everyone,” Rep. Barbara F. Vucanovich (R-Nev.) said. “. . . No longer will the elderly, handicapped and non-hikers be able to enjoy the canyon.” Nine of 10 sightseeing flights over the Grand Canyon originate in the Las Vegas area.

But Rep. Morris K. Udall (D-Ariz.), himself a pilot who has flown frequently over the canyon, said sightseers would miss little. “You can get the same essential experience in an airplane above the rim that you can get below the rim,” Udall said.