SANTA MONICA : Airport Neighbors to Meet Galanter, Other Officials

Neighbors of Santa Monica Airport who are upset about recent plane crashes and other problems will have a chance to make their complaints known today at a meeting organized by Los Angeles Councilwoman Ruth Galanter and Rep. Jane Harman (D-Marina del Rey).

The community meeting is being held amid signs of increased public concern about the airport, one of the busiest single-runway airports in the nation. Planes using the airport have been involved in three fatal crashes in the past nine months. In the most recent accident in April, cable television director Patrick Dean Brinnon died when the plane he was piloting crashed into a garage.

After that accident, a citizens panel made safety recommendations that include increasing pilot education, purchasing new air traffic control equipment, conducting more aircraft inspections and re-evaluating the process by which residents file complaints. Harman has forwarded the recommendations to the Federal Aviation Administration.

Among those at today’s meeting will be Galanter and representatives of Harman’s office, the FAA and the Santa Monica Airport, a spokesman for Galanter said. The meeting is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at Penmar Recreation C%nter, 1341 Lake St. in Venice. For more information, call (310) 524-1150.