Washington Administrative Code › Title 468 - Transportation, Department of (See Title 88) › Chapter 468-240 - Obstruction marking and lighting › Section 468-240-005 - Introduction

Current through Register Vol. 24-14, July 15, 2024
(1) The Washington state aeronautics
			 commission has the statutory responsibility of promoting safety in aeronautics
			 and enforcing safety rules, regulations and standards. In the light of this
			 responsibility, the Washington state aeronautics commission is vitally
			 concerned with any object which may be a hazard to the safe operation of
			 aircraft and the enforcement of state obstruction and marking law.
			 Consequently, it has a primary responsibility in the determination of whether
			 an existing or proposed object is, or will become, such a hazard.
(2) In order to provide uniform criteria to
			 determine whether an object is, or will be, an obstruction to air navigation,
			 the Washington state aeronautics commission has issued state standards for
			 determining obstructions to air navigation. Natural or manmade objects or
			 portions thereof, both temporary and permanent, which have been determined,
			 through the application of these standards, to be obstructions and all manmade
			 objects, or portions thereof, greater than 150 feet in over-all height above
			 ground, or water if so situated, should be marked and/or lighted in accordance
			 with the applicable standards hereinafter described, unless aeronautical study
			 indicates that the absence of such marking and/or lighting will not impair
			 safety in air navigation. Existing nonstandard obstruction marking and lighting
			 installations should be replaced or modified so as to conform with these
			 standards as soon as practicable.
(3) The standards for marking and lighting
			 obstructions prescribed in this publication are designed to provide the most
			 effective means of indicating the presence of obstructions to pilots. In many
			 instances the obstruction may be so located in reference to other objects or
			 the contour of the ground, that the specific standard need be applied to its
			 upper part only. Similarly, the obstruction may be so removed from the general
			 flow of air traffic or may be so conspicuous by its shape, size or color that
			 obstruction marking would serve no useful purpose and would be unnecessary.
			 Furthermore, the obstruction may present such a hazard that lighting should be
			 provided similar to that for an obstruction of a greater height. Portions of
			 obstructions that are shielded by surrounding objects need not be marked or
			 lighted, but the surrounding objects should be marked and lighted.
(4) Because of the many influencing elements,
			 the Washington state aeronautics commission may modify the obstruction marking
			 and lighting standards hereinafter described when aeronautical study has
			 indicated that a change or modification is necessary to provide adequate
			 protection for aeronautics.
Statutory Authority:
				  Chapter
				  47.68 RCW. 96-17-018
				  (Order 164), recodified as § 468-240-005, filed 8/13/96, effective
				  9/13/96; O.M.&L. standards, introduction, filed
				  9/13/61.