FAA Record of Meeting

John Milligan, AWP-621, 310 725-3621

With: Bob Trimborn, SMO Airport Manager Jeff Mathieu, Aviation Director

Marty Tachiki, Deputy City Attorney Steve Benson, Planner, Coffman Associates

Jim Harris, Principal, Coffman Associates

Monroe Balton, AWP- 7

Terry Griffen, AWP-200

Roland McKee, AWP-200

Mark Tellier, Manager, SMO ATCT

Ruben Cabalbag, AWP-621.5

Tony Garcia, AWP-620.1

John Milligan AWP-621

Date: October 1. 2002, Time: 11: 30 am to 2:00 pm

Subject: City of Santa Monica's Aircraft Conformance Program

Digest: SMO Airport Manager requested that FAA reps attend a briefing by the city's

consultant on the city's proposed Aircraft Conformance Program (ACP). The briefing and

discussion meeting was held at the Santa Monica airport on October 1, 2002 The ACP is

designed 'to limit aircraft using the Airport to those compatible with the airport's design

and physical limitations.

Aircraft with characteristics exceeding Aircraft Design Group B-II would effectively not be

allowed to operate at the airport. Present traffic counts include approximately 6,000 annual

operations of aircraft with approach Category C and Category D. Jet aircraft having

approach speed Category B account for an additional 6,000 annual ops.

FAA representatives included Air Traffic, Flight Standards, Regional Council and Airports

Divisions, FAA comments cautioned the city that its proposal was not consistent with the

city's federal obligations and federal law.

The city expressed that its proposed ACP was due to its concern for the level of safety at

SMO. Presently. The airfield includes a single Runway 3-21, 150' X 4987', Runway Safety

Areas beyond runway ends extend only approximately 100' to the west and 50' to the east

before the lend slopes suddenly approximately 40' down to public streets.

The city's consultant studied alternatives in meeting or improving compliance with FAA

design standards. Land acquisition and grading of embankment was considered unfeasible
due to cost. EMAS construction was considered unfeasible because there is insufficient

room beyond runway ends.

The consultant's report concluded that the city could meet RSA standards for Aircraft

Design Group B-II with the use of declared distances and by displacing both landing

thresholds by 300'. (it is noted that as far back as 1977, the City had proposed displaced

threshold as a means to reduce noise, in that case, proposing a 750-foot displaced

threshold).' This would provide landing distance available (LDA) of 4387' and acceleratestop distance (ASDA) of 4687'. There was significant discussion regarding what other

options might exist that hasn't yet been considered, without a conclusion reached.

Due to underlying tension in this meeting, there was little discussion of the details of the

aircraft restriction aspect of the ACP. FAA LOB's2 commented that safety determinations

involving flight of aircraft are under FAA jurisdiction, not the airport sponsor. While

meeting FAA design standards are encouraged in providing for further and continued

enhancement of a margin of safety, FAA. LOB's stressed that an inability of an airport

sponsor to correct a substandard RSA does not inherently mean an operationally unsafe

condition exists.

Further, FAA does not consider it inherently unsafe for an aircraft of larger design

category to use an airport designed to accommodate a lesser category aircraft. Air Traffic

and Flight Standards reps reiterated that design standards limitations did not translate into

operational limitations and that FAA develops instrument approaches to permit safe

aircraft operations.

FAA holds the expectation that the city comply with Section 9 of the Airport Agreement

to maintain the 5000' x 150' runway. Any action taken by the city that conflict with its

federal obligations, including economic non-discrimination (Assurance 22) would be of

concern to the FAA. At the end of the meeting, AWP-621 provided the Airport Manager

the text of a FAA memo from AAS-1 to AWP-600 (attached). After the meeting, the

Airport Manager escorted the Airports Division reps to each of the runway ends on the

airfield to observe the condition of the RSAs. The Airport Manager was asked what time

schedule could be anticipated for city action on the ACP. His response was that the city

planned to give a similar briefing to the various aviation trade organizations in October,

finalize details of a proposed city ordinance to bring to the city council in late November,

and implement in February. 3

I http.vpqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes

2 Line of Business.

, Record of Meeting . John Milligan A WP-6~ I. October I. ~OO~.