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Fatal plane crash near Scottsdale Airport spurs safety fears by Ofelia Madrid - Dec. 15, 2011 09:00 PM The Arizona Republic Residents of a northeast Phoenix neighborhood where a small plane crashed and killed a man stared in the direction of the wreckage Thursday wondering, "What if?" What if the plane had been bigger? What if it had crashed into a house? What if there had been a bigger explosion? The single-engine Cirrus SR22 crashed onto Joan de Arc Avenue near 70th Street around 10 a.m. about a half-mile away from Scottsdale Airport, authorities said. There were two men inside the plane, Phoenix Fire Department spokesman Scott McDonald said. The names of the victims have not been released. The 62-year-old pilot died inside the plane, while the 60-year-old passenger was immediately transported to a nearby trauma center for non-life threatening injuries, fire and police officials said. Authorities had not released the names of the victims, but the plane is registered to Frank M. Smith and Associates Inc. out of Pinetop and was traveling from Show Low to Scottsdale, said Ian Gregor, a spokesman with the Federal Aviation Administration. The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the crash and will release a report when finished. For years, people in Scottsdale and Phoenix living near the airport have lobbied airport officials not to allow heavier jets to take off more frequently. In 2010, airport officials voted to allow jets to take off with up to 100,000 pounds of fuel. Before, the limit was 75,000 pounds. Although this time it was a small plane that crashed and not a business jet, many neighbors gathered around yellow police crime tape near the crash said this is was one of their worst fears coming true. Airport officials say that statistically, business and corporation aviation, which comprise the majority of planes flying in and out of Scottsdale Airport, are safer than general aviation, such as the small plane that crashed Thursday. "There will always be individuals that don't want to see any kind of larger aircraft in Scottsdale," said Gunnar Buzzard, chairman of Scottsdale's Airport Advisory Commission. "We've gone through a litany of issues and work extremely hard to be good neighbors with Scottsdale and Phoenix." For Jay Eldridge, who has lived in the neighborhood west of Scottsdale Road and south of Thunderbird Road since 1999, the crash did nothing but raise concerns. Eldridge came out of his house to see what had happened after he heard the plane explode. "The small planes don't seem to bother me," he said. "My concerns are those (larger jets). They fly low and fast." Buzzard said there's a difference between perception and reality of what types of planes fly in and out of the airport. "For this calendar year, we've had only two departures of over 75,000 pounds," Buzzard said. Considering that in November the airport had 12,000 takeoffs and landings, the number of heavy jets is tiny, he said. "We operate our airport as safe as possible with regards to the facilities," said Gary Mascaro, the airport's aviation director. Other residents still feel safe. "People bought their homes with the knowledge that there was an airport nearby," said Theresa Brunetto, whose house is directly under the flight path on the Phoenix side. Brunetto, a former flight attendant, and her husband, a former pilot for TWA, have owned the house about two blocks from the crash for 30 years. "You could live 10 miles from an airport and a plane could crash," Brunetto said. "We've always been supportive of the airport and aviation." John Washington, a former member of the Airport Advisory Commission, called Scottsdale Airport safe. "I'm sure questions will be raised about the safety of the airport, as well as homes and businesses near the airport," he said. "As with any aviation incident or accident, it takes time and a careful investigative process to understand what happened." Resident Ken Hanley said he wrote letter after letter citing concerns about airplane noise and finally gave up. But he said he could only remember one other plane crash in his neighborhood since 1976. Being on the Phoenix side of Scottsdale Airport, "you definitely feel your concerns count less," Hanley said. "These cities were founded on the notion of growth being the answer to all our problems." Reporters Beth Duckett, Morgan Tanabe and Catherine Crook contributed to this article. |