Mon, Oct 03, 2011
Residents Say Helos Carry Big External Loads Over Their
Homes
California has gained a reputation as a state where residents,
all too happy to make use of modern conveniences, stage protests to
stop development of the infrastructure necessary to operate them.
But if the claims of residents protesting safety violations by
helicopter operators working on a new powerline are true, this is
not just another NIMBY story.
San Diego Gas & Electric's new Sunrise Powerlink will
connect two California counties with Arizona, at a cost of $2
billion. It involves the use of big helicopters to erect towers,
and two recent tail rotor strikes have prompted the California
Public Utilities Commission to stop the flying while pilots get
remedial safety training. San Diego County Supervisor Dianne Jacob
tell East County Magazine,
“I commend the CPUC for putting public safety first and
grounding helicopter operations...The CPUC must hold SDG&E
accountable for its reckless antics and flagrant disregard for CPUC
rules. The steady stream of equipment drops and unreported rotor
strikes increases the chances of wildfire in communities that have
already endured the 2003 and 2007 wildfires.”
Jacob wants the commission to hold a public meeting in Alpine to
address residents' concerns about safety.
Other residents say they have complained to authorities,
including the FAA, about helicopter operators flying so low they
damage property on the ground, blowing down trees in at least one
case. Pilots are accused of carrying external loads over homes in
violation of FAA regulations, including tower sections which weigh
up to eight tons each. Two such sections, as well as an air
compressor and a loose helicopter skid, have been dropped on
unoccupied land in recent incidents.
One resident says he looked up to see a helicopter flying over
his home carrying a tractor. Others say the pilots have
intentionally flown lower after complaints to intimidate
landowners.
The utilities commission says it has ordered a safety
stand-down, and is updating its incident reporting protocol after
SDG&E claimed it was not clear incidents such as recent tail
rotor strikes on a boulder and a fence post had to be reported to
the commission. Work on the Sunrise Powerlink continues in areas
not requiring helicopter flights.
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