A Miramar commissioner wants the city to implement some new safety measures that he hopes will help reduce the chances of crashes linked to North Perry Airport.
"People are scared, people are scared," Commissioner Winston Barnes said.
Barnes said he's officially bringing a resolution forward to the Miramar City Commission on Monday night that calls for the FAA, NTSB, and Broward County, which operates the airport, to take action.
Among the actions he's seeking are further examinations of commercial and private pilot training at North Perry, more detailed inspection of aircraft and their maintenance records, and a reduction in the airport's operating hours.
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"I am not being delusional. I don’t expect this to be closed next week or next year. What I want is that examination of what transpires here on a day-to-day basis, understand, for example, if rules and regulations are being adhered to and what can we do to have this airport used less frequently," Barnes said. "Because I’m convinced the more any situation is used the more likely there’s going to be a mishap."
The airport is a busy place for the banner planes, general aviation flying, and student training. Barnes recognizes that the neighborhood grew up around the airport after World War II.
"Homes have basically surrounded the airport. Hence what we have happening if an aircraft goes down in the general area, it is going to end up on a house and that has happened far too frequently and I am suggesting it's time we did something about it," Barnes said.
Local
Last month, two men were killed after their small plane crashed into a home in a Miramar neighborhood after taking off from the airport.
And last year, a 4-year-old boy was killed when a plane crashed into his mother's SUV near the airport. Both men on the aircraft also died.
In fact, over the last three years, seven fatal crashes associated with North Perry have taken place.
The flight schools and other operations at the airport said they’re all about following the rules.
The FAA would need a host of inspectors to come through and examine all of the general aviation flying that’s done at the airport.
