Originally published in 1995
A pilot and his passengers suffered only minor cuts and bruises after his single engine Beechcraft developed problems with oil pressure causing the engine to “lock up” during take-off from Lago Vista’s Rusty Allen Airport. After veering off the runway, the plane skidded about 165 feet, passing directly over the primary surface area where two trees had recently been removed from the front of one of the airport’s hangars. The pilot landed the plane at the end of Runway 15 after clearing the runway end protection zone, where additional trees and obstacles had recently been removed.
An Aviation Division inspector reported his recommendations in January 1995, to the mayor and members of the airport association after he conducted a safety inspection at the Rusty Allen Airport recently acquired by the city of Lago Vista. The inspector advised that he had “observed certain conditions that could impact safety on the airport”. His report noted that the Approach Surface of the Runway Protection Zone was obstructed by trees, and that all obstructions to the Approach Surface should be removed to provide an unobstructed 20:1 approach. Also included in his report was that the Primary Surface was obstructed by brush located on both sides of the runway. In addition to the brush, there were several large trees on the southwest side of the runway that were in the Primary Surface, and a 5′ bank located in front of some of the hangars obstructed the Primary Surface. His report recommended all obstructions except FAA-approved frangible equipment be removed from the Primary Surface.
A recent newsletter from the airport’s Board of Directors expressed relief for their decision to follow the inspector’s recommendations to remove these obstructions. “It would have been a different story if we had not cleared our airport’s runway protection zones. This accident demonstrates the requirements of TxDOT which we must monitor and comply with.”