People living near the Carson City Airport have every right to be concerned about the planes that fly over their homes every day.
Their fears are far from irrational - two of those planes have crashed among their homes during the past five years. In the most recent incident, June 5, a pilot lost power and landed in the intersection of Apollo Drive and Hiko Court. Even though no one was injured, it probably reminded nearby residents of a more tragic accident in 2001, when a plane struck and injured a man in his yard. And other small planes have crashed nearby in recent years.
We commend the airport authority for meeting with residents on Monday night and working toward a solution not only on the safety issue, but on reducing unnecessary aircraft noise. It's clear the solution will require cooperation because neither the airport nor residents are going anywhere.
On the safety issue, there's little that can be guaranteed. But a major part of the overall solution is in the $25 million scheduled to be spent at the airport that will, among other things, realign the runway away from homes on Apollo Drive,
Another part will entail making sure the pilots abide by rules and respect nearby residents. To do that, the airport authority will work with pilots to enforce responsible flight procedures. Residents in turn are being asked to report aircraft taking part in behaviors that may be risky or cause unnecessary noise, such as flying too low.
Under the circumstances, it's the best solution available, and, if the authority backs its words with actions, it should make those neighborhoods a better place to live.