FAA eyes lower building height limit near airports

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FAA eyes lower building height limit near airports
Associated Press Updated: June 26, 2014 at 7:16 am

WASHINGTON (AP) — The government wants to dramatically reduce the allowable height of buildings near hundreds of airports — a proposal that is drawing fire from real estate developers and members of Congress who say it will reduce property values.
Photo - FILE - In this Sept. 3, 2007, file photo, a twisted reflection of a passenger jet is reflected in the mirrored windows of an office building as it lands at Washington's Reagan National Airport in Roslyn, Va. The government wants to dramatically reduce the height limits of buildings near hundreds of airports, but the proposal is drawing fire from real estate developers, local business leaders and members of Congress who say it will reduce property values.

The Federal Aviation Administration proposal, supported by airports and airlines, is driven by encroaching development that limits safe flight paths for planes that might lose power in an engine during takeoff. Planes can fly with only one engine, but they have less power to climb quickly over obstacles.

Airlines have to plan for the possibility that a plane could lose the use of an engine during takeoff even though that doesn't happen very often. As more buildings, cellphone towers, wind turbines and other tall structures go up near airports, there are fewer safe flight paths available. Current regulations effectively limit building heights based on the amount of clearance needed by planes with two operating engines.

Airlines already must sometimes cut down on the number of passengers and the amount of cargo carried by planes taking off from airports in Burbank and San Jose in California, and in Honolulu, Los Angeles, Miami, Phoenix, and near Washington, D.C., among others, so they will be light enough to clear obstructions if only one engine is available, said Chris Oswald, vice president of the Airports Council International-North America.