Study: McClellan-Palomar Airport Safe, But Challenging

CARLSBAD, Calif. -- McClellan-Palomar Airport is considered safe by federal aviation authorities, but a short runway and unpredictable weather can reduce the margin of error for pilots unfamiliar with the facility, it was reported Monday.

Last month, one pilot died and two injured in a pair of crashes within a week of each other. According to a search of federal records by the North County Times, 10 people died in eight wrecks over the past three years.

Ian Gregor of the Federal Aviation Administration told the Times that most general aviation airports as busy as the one in Carlsbad have runways 5,000 feet long. The one at McClellan-Palomar is 4,600 feet.

Airport manager Willie Vasquez wants to extend the runway by 1,000 feet, but anticipates opposition from neighbors concerned about noise and safety and the difficulty of excavating an adjacent landfill, according to the newspaper.

The weather can also be a problem when fog rolls in, Gregor told the newspaper. The fatal accident occurred when an experienced pilot missed his first approach on a foggy morning and was circling around for a second attempt when he crashed into a hillside.

"According to the NTSB reports, weather, along with pilot's failure to respond property to the prevailing weather conditions, were factors in many of the recent accidents at or around the airport," Gregor said, referring to the National Transportation Safety Board.

Difficult weather conditions tend to magnify pilot errors, he said.

"Palomar is safe, but (it) can be challenging," Gregor said.

The North County Times reported that pilots are encouraged to avoid flying over nearby neighborhoods by following Palomar Airport Road to the coast before turning, but the pattern is not mandatory.

Dwight Webster, who told the newspaper that pilots frequently ignore the pattern and routinely fly low over his house, said he and his neighbors want to make the pattern mandatory.

Vasquez said the airport does not have authority, according to the Times. Gregor, however, told the newspaper that his agency would evaluate such a request if it was made by airport officials.