Issues and Concerns
Safety
The increasing prevalence of private aviation, often in residential areas, has increased safety risks from crashes. Takeoff and landing are the most dangerous periods in air travel, and are often taking place over neighbors' properties, farms and homes. The accident rate of smaller aircraft of the kind used on private landing areas is also many times higher than commercial aircraft.
Safety questions relating to private airstrips and helipads include: Will all take off and landings take place away from residences, driveways, town roads, town recreation areas, and schools? Will aircraft-specific fire and rescue equipment be on hand? What is the responsibility of towns in the event of an accident in terms of response, liability, firefighting capability, and training?
Electric aircraft raise distinct safety issues relating to the lithium batteries they depend upon – lithium ion cells can trigger a chain reaction called thermal runaway, and lead to fires extremely difficult to put out.
The state and federal governments allocate significant manpower and funds ensuring airports are safe, noise levels are reasonable, the public has a say, and the environment is minimally impacted. Private air travel should primarily be based at our wide network of state airports. See Vermont Airport System Plan, Vermont Agency of Transportation, 2021.
Why not direct private travel to the wide network of airports across the state that address safety issues on a daily basis?
“I am somewhat familiar with airfield operations and the flying experience in that I am a Retired Lt. Col in the Marine Corps with 22 years of service. I was commissioned a Naval Flight Officer in the Marine Corps and have flown backseat in the F-4 Phantom as a Radar Intercept Officer (RIO) and as a Weapons and Sensors Officer (WSO) in the F-18D Hornet… If my aviation experience has taught me one thing, it is that operating an aircraft in any environment is a very serious endeavor. It requires a high degree of both aviation knowledge and skill to operate an aircraft in a safe manner. But one must always remember that no matter how smart you are or how many hours you have or how much skill you have, things happen. Decisions need to be made, adjustments need to be made, changes need to be made, all in a few minutes or even seconds. When “things happen,” flight plans change, flight patterns change and as a result promises of noise abatement procedures, overflight restrictions, altitude restrictions, etc. change too. Airfield operations whether at an airport or airstrip are dynamic in nature and will significantly affect the surrounding area in which they are permitted.”
Letter to the Lincoln Development Review Board (DRB) regarding a proposed private landing area. Michael O’Connor, 2023
A sample of safety incidents in Vermont in recent years
A list of all 110 recorded fatal plane crashes in the state of Vermont between 1982-2018
An incident at the Rutland Airport in 2022
An incident in Bennington in 2022
A recent incident in which a helicopter crashed on a road in Colchester, Vermont
An article on an accident at Fulton County Airport
… and in neighboring states
© Gold Wing Photography
“The overwhelming majority of aviation fatalities involve small, private airplanes, and not large commercial airliners.”
US small plane crash fatalities increased in 2018, NTSB says. ABC, 2019
“In 2019, the accident rate for a commercial plane was 0.2 accidents for every 100,000 hours flown. For a private plane, it's more than 25 times higher at 5.6 accidents for every 100,000 hours.”
Are small planes involved in more crashes? WUSA9, 2022
“Battery fires are already a major concern for fuel-powered aircraft and it was anticipated that electric airplanes would face an uphill battle in being accepted because of that.”
Siemens electric plane prototype caught on fire in the air before crashing and killing both occupants. Electrek, 2018
“Overheating lithium-ion cells can trigger a chemical chain reaction known as thermal runaway that may cause a battery array to combust. For more than a decade, there have been reports of laptops, hoverboards, electric cars and even commercial airliners being set on fire by overheated batteries.”
A $400,000 Battery Pack Was Removed From the Statehouse Over a Fire Risk. Seven Days, 2023
“... [small aircraft] crashes around the world are so common, with an average of nearly four a day in America alone.”
Are smaller planes more dangerous than larger planes? Financial Review Small Plane Safety, 2019
“49% of fatal accidents occur in this short window, making the final descent and landing the deadliest part of an average flight.”
Why airplane takeoffs and landings are so dangerous. Business Insider, 2020