HomeMy WebLinkAbout02 04 1990 One Dies in Sebastian Air CollisionOne Dies In Sebastian Air Collision
Press4lournal staff photo by Cliff Partlow
The wreckage of the Florida Institute of Technology Piper Warrior II lies near a home near Roseland Road after it collided in midair with a Grumman. Cheetah, which;
ended up in a fenced area near the Sebastian Municipal Airport runways.
Crash Focuses Airport Arguments
By PATRICIA DiLALLA
Sebastian Bureau Chief
The midair collision that killed one
pilot and seriously injured another Satur-
day near the Sebastian Municipal Airport
has not changed the attitudes of those on
both sides of a three-year controversy.
Critics feel vindicated that their fears of
a crash have proved justified and re-
newed their call to move the airport,
while supporters say the collision could
have been avoided if proper equipment
had been installed. ,
"We have been worried for a long time
about the schoolchildren and private
homes," says Charlotte Maneikis, vice
president of Citizens Airport Watch. "We
have been thinking any day it could
happen to any one of us."
Airport supporters say installing safety
equipment probably would have prevent-
ed the collision, and that the airport's
safety record is good despite this crash.
"That is why we put in control towers,
to prevent that from happening," says
Airport Manager John Van Antwerp.
Since more accidents occur on takeoff
and landing, "there should be as little on
the ground where the majority of acci-
dents will occur," says Charles Stachel,
"The airport has been here
40 years and there have been
two fatalities. It's really an
amazing safety record."
Steve Johnson
Fixed base operator
president of Citizens Airport Watch.
"Our sympathy goes out to the loved
ones of the pilots involved," he said,
adding that the area around flight paths
should be clear, which isn't the case here.
The solution is to move the airport, he
says.
Steve Johnson, co-owner of _ Sebastian
Aero Services, a fixed base operator at the
airport, says the general aviation airport
has proved itself to be relatively safe.
"It is kind of like driving on I-95. You
know for a fact there will be accidents,"
Johnson says,
"The airport has been here 40 years and
there have been two fatalities. It's really
an amazing safety record."
In 1975, a plane crashed shortly after
takeoff, killing one man.
As to moving the airport, Johnson says
he would have no objection but that it
would cost taxpayers $25 million to $30
million.
Johnson criticized people who build
houses at the end of runways knowing the
airport is there and blamed the city for
allowing subdivisions to be built right up
to the airport.
Vice Mayor Robert _ McCarthy has
called for an end to an airport lawsuit _
brought by Burt Snell "so we can concen-
trate the entire city on speeding up this
airport compatibility study.
"It could have been catastrophic. I
would just hope that the city will be
awakened now to the need for some type
of restrictions at the airport that would
safeguard the homes around the commu-
nity."
Snell, an airport supporter, says the
crash has not changed his mind about
pursuing his lawsuit against the city. The
remaining part of Snell's lawsuit con-
cerns how money from the Airport Enter-
prise Fund is spent.
"I just hope the other people won't take
advantage of someone else's grief, but
unfortunately, I think they will," Snell
says.
Pren4oumal staff photo by Kelly Collin
Rescue workers cover the dead pilot's bod,
after Saturday's fatal plane crash.
71 st YEAR -NO. 137
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INDIAN RIVER COUNTY
FEBRUARY 4, 1990
118 PAGES, 7 SECTIONS
500 SINGLE COPY
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