FAA Drops Anti-Noise Proposal

The Federal Aviation Administration has abandoned a plan that would have required pilots taking off from Los Angeles International Airport to wait until they were a mile offshore before beginning to turn their aircraft.

In response to noise complaints from El Segundo residents, the agency announced in February that air traffic controllers would tell pilots not to begin their turns until they were a mile out over the ocean. Pilots have traditionally been allowed to begin turning when they reach the shoreline.

After three days of testing in April, FAA officials decided that the new plan would not work because it would force many pilots to violate a rule that prohibits departing planes from flying too close together, according to Sabra Kaulia, the FAA’s assistant air traffic manager in Los Angeles.

Air traffic regulations require pilots taking off from the airport’s southernmost runway--the one closest to El Segundo--to turn within two miles after takeoff to ensure proper separation between their aircraft and those taking off from a northern runway.

During the test, only 26% of more than 240 pilots were able to get their aircraft turned within two miles. “This particular test did not work out,” Kaulia said.