Clearwater Airpark officials say airpark beacon is a ‘priority’ following February's deadly crash
Officials in Clearwater are working on improving lighting at the airpark, following February’s deadly plane crash. Officials in Clearwater are working on improving lighting at the Clearwater Airpark following a deadly plane crash in February that killed the pilot and two people inside a mobile home. The pilot could not see the airpark due to the lack of visibility, raising questions about the lighting and visibility. City officials have been working towards adding a rotating beacon to the air park since the master plan was completed in 2020. While the FAA recommends such a move, the airpar is not required to have one as it does not receive federal funding. The city hopes to buy the beacon with a grant from the Florida department of transportation for $110,000, which could be awarded around July.
公開済み : 4週間前 沿って Genevieve Curtis の
Officials in Clearwater are working on improving lighting at the airpark, following February’s deadly plane crash.
A single engine Beechcraft Bonanza was supposed to land at the Clearwater Airpark. Instead it crashed into a mobile home, less than three miles away.
The NTSB is still investigating the cause of the deadly crash, which killed the pilot and two people inside the mobile home, but the preliminary report says the pilot could not see the airpark.
"I can’t see the airport," the pilot, Jemin Patel, said over the radio traffic from that fateful night.
The chilling radio calls raise questions about the airpark's lighting and visibility from the air.
Even before that fatal crash, city officials said upgrading the lighting here at the airpark was a priority. On Thursday, during an emergency meeting of the Clearwater Airpark Advisory Board, city officials said adding a rotating beacon had been in the works, ever since the airpark master plan was completed in 2020.
"We don’t know what happened in the cockpit in that airplane that day, we don’t know if a beacon would have made a difference," said John Renton with the Clearwater Airpark Advisory Board.
Though part of the master plan, the process of adding a beacon has been slow.
"It’ not known whether this proposed beacon would have helped in the unfortunate incident in the February crash but in the interest of safety I believe the installation of the beacon should be prioritized," said board chairman Roger Schulman.
Michael MacDonald, the current director of aviation for the city of Clearwater, said while the FAA "recommends" a rotating beacon, the airpark isn't required to have one since it does not receive federal funding.
MacDonald says they're hoping to buy the beacon with a grant from the Florida department of transportation for $110,000. That money could be awarded around July. It could then take another 6-8 months to determined design and construction plans.
Members also asked whether they could explore temporary solutions in the meantime.
READ: Woman arrested after beating St. Pete daycare director while picking up child
"To design something that is going to be temporary is not feasible when we can design something that will be permanent and that’s what we are doing," said MacDonald.
MacDonald told FOX 13 it's too hard to determine a timeline for when a beacon might be functioning at the airpark.
SIGN UP: Click here to sign up for the FOX 13 daily newsletter