Averting a Collision of Air Safety, Noise : * FAA Should Minimize John Wayne Takeoff Hazards Yet Try to Keep the Peace
Sorting out the noise and safety issues surrounding a controversial takeoff procedure used at John Wayne Airport is not a simple business. Pilots make a compelling argument when they complain that the procedure--a power reduction at 500 feet to minimize noise for residents beneath the flight path--is far too dangerous.
But nearby residents will undoubtedly feel betrayed if revised rules--which would bar pilots from cutting back power until their planes reach at least 800 feet--result in higher levels of noise. In 1985, Newport Beach-area residents only agreed to settle 10 years of legal battles over airport expansion because of promises that noise would be strictly controlled.
Since then, however, Congress has adopted the Airport Noise and Capacity Act, which gives the Federal Aviation Administration the power to review airport rules once there has been a change in the airport’s noise regulations--even if the change is imposed by the FAA itself.
Should a review occur because of the 800-foot rule change, however, that could endanger the carefully crafted 1985 agreement reached with the county’s anti-noise groups.
The rule change was recently recommended overwhelmingly by an FAA advisory group. It heard harrowing tales from pilots who have cut power at 500 feet to meet noise requirements at John Wayne. Pilots also complained about the airport’s 23-degree takeoff angle, which they said is too steep.
In a bid to reduce the controversy over the 500-foot rule, pilots have come up with some new procedures, including adjustment of wing flaps so less power is needed for takeoffs. They say that will reduce noise. However, the effect of that, as well as the change to an 800-foot power cutback, may differ, depending upon which neighborhood is being overflown, potentially pitting residents against one another.
As a first step in responding to the concerns of airport-area residents, an FAA advisory group has recommended that the agency form a panel to investigate the environmental impact of any rule changes. The FAA should adopt that recommendation.
In the end, the FAA must be guided by what is safest, and the advisory group’s recommendation is significant because it reopens the safety issue. But the FAA must also strive to keep noise levels down.
By helping to preserve the 1985 agreement--perhaps by making other concessions--the FAA could ensure safer takeoffs while also keeping the peace in Orange County.
