A Question of Safety

In the space of a week, two small planes and a helicopter recently landed on San Fernando Valley streets. One plane clipped two school buses carrying 46 children but--miraculously--caused only minor injuries.

Was last week’s rash of emergency landings a fluke? Or does it signal a problem for busy Van Nuys Airport, where the two planes were headed, and for other area airports?

Both general aviation and Van Nuys Airport have impressive safety records. And while pilot error may have played a role in last week’s emergency landings, the pilots kept their heads once things went wrong.

But because we cannot always count on a combination of luck, skill and steel nerves, officials have to examine whether they’re doing everything possible to prevent disasters. For instance, are pilots who use Van Nuys Airport adequately informed about two open areas--a sod farm and a golf course--earmarked for emergency landings?

A preliminary National Transportation Safety Board report, issued Tuesday, said the plane that hit the school buses appeared to have fewer than six gallons of gas left. Whether that was enough gas to land is a question the safety board will try to answer. There’s also the question of whether the plane should have been landing at Van Nuys in the first place. Its pilot had dropped off passengers at an Arizona airport after reporting oil gauge problems. Would it have been better to deal with the situation there rather than turning the plane around for a landing in a congested city?

These are questions City Councilman Joel Wachs, whose district includes most of the airport, has asked the city, the NTSB and the Federal Aviation Administration to answer. Those questions also should be addressed at a July 10 town hall meeting scheduled by Rep. Brad Sherman (D-Sherman Oaks).

The meeting is intended to bring together the FAA’s regional administrator and critics of Van Nuys Airport, who are mostly concerned about aircraft noise. Undoubtedly they will use last week’s near disasters to bolster their argument that the airport is too busy for its location. But as irritating as noise is, it is a separate issue. Safety, as always, is the No. 1 question.