Sedona Airport mesa
Sedona AZ (July 26, 2012) – This morning at approximately 8:24 a.m., Sedona Police and Sedona Fire District personnel responded to a report of a plane crash near the Sedona Airport. Three people are presumed to have been on-board when the airplane attempted lift off only to crash.
The plane, a Beech B-60, is registered to a two-time Olympic runner, Patrick Porter, of New Mexico. Porter was reported to have been visiting Sedona. He is married with two children. Three people died in the crash, but officials cannot yet confirm who was on board. The Yavapai County Medical Examiner will identify the bodies and after notification of next of kin, names and ages will be released.
The Sedona Airport sits atop Table Mountain mesa. The airport elevation is 4,827 feet and the runway is 5,130 feet long. It has a modern National Weather Service (NOAA) reporting station, and over 100 based aircraft with a variety of airport based tour and charter operations.
The Sedona airport is one of over 6,000 un-controlled airports in the United States. Pilots flying in and out of the airport manage themselves by following the rules of aviation and communicating with each other.
Upon arrival, Sedona Fire District personnel and Sedona Police discovered that a small aircraft was engulfed in flames near the bottom of the mesa at the south end of the airport runway. Initial information and observations at the scene indicate that the aircraft went through the fence at the south end of the runway and down the side of the mesa.
It has not been confirmed by the investigators how many people were in the aircraft at the time of the accident, although three are presumed. No survivors were located at the site of the wreckage when the first responders arrived on scene. Three bodies were transported to the Yavapai County Medical Examiner late this afternoon for identification.
Sedona Police investigators are continuing to gather additional information. The National Transportation Safety Board will head the investigation that will include the FAA.
The Sedona-Oak Creek Airport Authority (501)(c3) was formed to take over management of the airport in 1971. Modern safety elements such as runway overruns, GPS electronic approaches, and hi-intensity PAPI approach lights, and relocation of fuel tanks are proposals under consideration for upgrading the airport in the future.
A prior accident at the Sedona Airport occurred on October 19, 2010, when a too fast approaching Net Jet bounced three times during a hard landing, but the plane was able to pull out and do a come-around for a safe landing. The SedonaEye.com, first on the scene with an eyewitness report of the accident, broke the Net Jet news story here https://sedonaeye.com/sedona-airport-net-jet-bounces.
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This airport needs to be permanently closed. Those poor people- not enough runway and no way to escape.Next it could be one of our homes and more casualties. All along, the people running this airport who pushed for increased use knew about its short runway and proximity to homes, dangerous cross winds and toxic gases- but they persisted in pushing it as day destination with cheap gas and discounts… They should be sued and brought to justice for their greed and deception… and now, more loss of life.
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Having the heard the report of this airplaine crash on my scanner at the time it occurred first thing this AM, it was but a short time later on Phoenix network TV newscasts it was reported that all three people were killed.
Agreeing this is, indeed, unfortunate it nevertheless remains a fact that the airport has been there long before Sedona became a city. Also the report indicated the plane wasn’t a jet which as far as I’m concerned is good news. That is where, in my opinion, the airport might not be adequate.
That airport functioned long ago as the basic means to connect with flights in Phoenix when Bob Jackson and Jack Seely offered their chartered flights. Like other previous services in Sedona, like having a vacuum repair place, we who live here have had our legs cut off to the knees and are forced to shop for services outside Sedona.
Agreeing that a vacuum repair shop compared to reasonably priced charter flights to connect with the Phoenix airport may have insignificant importance, that only applies to those in need of a service regardless of the nature.
I disagree that the runway wasn’t adequate for a propeller airplane. Accusing of deception is treading on thin ice especially when the airport, like our wildlife, was here first and isn’t part of Sedona’s jurisdiction.
This airport should be closed on the basis of the noise it creates in a tranquil area. I used to live at the base of the mountain near the crash site. I moved out of Sedona because I got tired of the helicopters and small planes which have ruined the tranquility of the area by Crescent Moon Ranch. If it is also unsafe, then that is just one more reason to close the airport. Can you imagine our local fire department having to deal with a mid air collision or a more major incident? That is not their mission.
With respect to Ms. Badger’s post I would like to add a little rationality and sanity to this article.
I am a 15 year Sedona resident and also a private pilot. The runway is plenty long for aircraft that are designed to be used by it and under the proper conditions. It’s all about managed risk and knowing what you are doing.
Planes are tested heavily to meet certain performance characteristics down to how much runway they need to takeoff and land based on weight, passengers, cargo, fuel center of gravity, air temperature and humidity….etc. These all effect the performance of an aircraft and how much runway it will need to takeoff, all predictable and well understood as roughly 30k flights a day take to the air each day in this country and only a relative few each year end in death. How many industries can claim a safety record such as that?
Do you not think pilots are trained about how to use runways and that there are no regulations or standards that govern this activity, that we just depart on short runways and leave it up to dumb luck not knowing what we are doing? Very far from it. It’s way different than driving a car. I wish drivers of cars were as well trained or had the professional attitude that pilots approach flying with as I’m sure there would be thousands of people still living their lives today if that were the case.
“Dangerous Crosswinds”? Crosswinds landings are a daily fact of life for pilots and not something to be frightened about but understood and mastered. “You can’t be afraid of the wind”. Do you not drive your own car on any windy or rainy days for fear of something bad happening?…or do you compensate for the wind or rain when you drive and live your life with a level of acceptable and manageable risk?
Cars closing at rates of 100mph a few feet apart driven by unprofessionals on Sedona’s streets are a heck of a lot more risky than a 5k foot runway as a pilot. That Sedona runway being on a mesa actually saved my life 20 years ago as it bought me the altitude I needed to fix a mechanical problem after I took off in a Cessna 172. I have a little different perspective than you do.
Aviation is one of the most thought out fields of human endeavour there is and so much work and planning has gone into making it safe. I wish the medical field were as safe. Again it’s about managed risk but once in awhile crashes happen, pilots make mistakes or a number of bad things happen all at once, fact of life.
For some perspective a few hundred people die a year on average due to aviation, the medical industry and prescription drug industry kills hundreds of thousands of people per year and not much outcry about that yet?
Are we going to close the nations highways because 10’s of thousands are killed every year on them? Oh and how about all the deaths due to texting?
A number of hikers have lost their lives near my home in VOC in the past year are we going to close the red rocks to hikers out of fear they may hurt themselves?
And how many people that live near the airport have lost their lives to a fast food diet in the past 10 years compared to having a plane fall on their house?
This airport serves a vital role for the community and is know throughout the world and brings many visitors to the area. It’s a beautiful airport.
There needs to be balance and I too don’t want the airport to turn into high traffic airport or like all the helicopter tours that make much noise but closing the airports is extremist talk that doesn’t consider the rights of all involved.
That airport is plenty big enough….have you seen the military aircraft that lands on that runway? Sounds to me like pilot error. Let the experts figure it out.
Excellent comments Doug. Having flown into Sedona numerous times over the years, I suspect that this may be a classic example of not taking Density Altitude into consideration prior to departure.
laudy be you give good news * story of this awful crash because it protects the family by not discussing if children were aboard or dead without being sure & byron’s comment was superior & rational & factual & reading info about airport gave me a better idea that it wasn’t the airport but the plane maybe? the pilot? keep up the good work – Chicago reader & Sedona lover
This airport pollutes Sedona air! Toxic fumes! Lead levels are elevated! I demand that studies be done to determine its cost vs its value and its overall danger to the community. It doesn’t matter that it has been around for a long time or that it is a service. We are an elite town. We have money to get where we need to be. Other people will get here by other means if they want to visit. It’s time for politicians running locally to stand firm on getting rid of the airport. I am a Democrat and I vote and I expect my representatives to close this airport. Relocate it to Cottonwood or Rimrock where those people probably won’t mind it. Jettison the jets! sign me I WANT THE AIRPORT CLOSED
Saying that “it’s the airport fault” is showing how uninformed the gerneral public really is. There has been no word from the NTSB making any statements of FACT. Please don’t use the death of 3 people to further some agenda. If you moved here after the airport was built, that’s your choice. If you don’t like the airport, there are many other city’s in the area that would be happy to have you.
Unfortunately, some people use unrelated occurrences as an excuse to push forward their cause that is totally unrelated to what happened. The NTSB is here to conduct a thorough investigation on what caused this unfortunate disaster. Let’s allow the professionals to inform us instead of people pushing for their own agenda and playing the role of self-appointed experts. Unfortunately, our town is full of them!
As a 20 year Sedona home owner of property that was among the first built in “Grasshopper Flats” – now West Sedona where a majority of residents live, I have had to put up with the steady, unadvertised growth of this now-urban airport whose noise pollution has steadily increased since we bought our property so many years ago.
While it’s probably impossible to close the facility as it serves a significant – ie., wealthy – group, who always have more political clout than we ordinary “residents,” I must protest against the arguments of “like it or leave here” put forward so often when the issue is raised.
When we bought our home, this was NOT the airport of today nor anything like it so someone ought to REGULATE it and REDUCE its size and impact. If not the city, then who?
There were NO jets and NO helicopter tours when we bought so don’t tell me I had a choice; no one locally ever suggested the location would remain the same but with more and more traffic. The day that a tower allows commercial jets (it is coming, alas; mark my words, neighbors!) here is the day I plan to sell – taking a big “hit” in the property value that is my single biggest investment asset but so be it. I say SMALL IS GOOD when it comes to intra-city airports!
I am in support of Doug Byron’s comment. Also, with all respect to those who have a differing opinion, I too have lived in Sedona for 20 years and I have absolutely no problem with the sounds of the planes above.
I expect the airport will be closed. Has anyone wondered why Mac McCall is gone even though he signed a five year contract in January, 2012? Has anyone wondered why the airport has NO airport manager? Do you think it is normal to have a manager leave with no replacement just like that? Do you think it’s a little strange that he, “retired because his contract was coming due for renewal” after the FBI was here investigating the airport?
Claiming the airport was there first is an excuse to justify its existence, it is not even germane to this discussion. The only people who support the airport are those who think they can gain something from it, either some minimal amount of business or pilots themselves, the airports serves very few and harms the many. Back to who was here first, the homes were either here or platted all around the airport mesa in all directions. The FAA should have denied the airport back in 1956. I pulled the plat maps myself and looked at the dates, so please spare us this lame argument.
Has anyone noticed the 20% fuel discount is gone since Mac left? Do you think the 501(c)3 was really operating more like a business rather than a non profit?
What does the airport cost our community in terms of health, death and medical bills? I can tell you millions of dollars. The airport sends out propaganda brochures claiming it can never be gotten rid of and how great it is for the community. No mention ever of lead poisoning, particulate matter or jet fuel dumping. High blood pressure, heart disease, cancer, asthma, going beyond the maximum DNL level, all not mentioned.
The pilots are a sick bunch who only care about themselves, they do not care if your kids are breathing massive amounts of lead and need to be chelated. Lead causes permanent damage for the rest of someone’s life. No one should be subjected to the toxins being dumped into our very tight basins and washes with no way for it to be evacuated. I expect some loser will now tell us how everyone is fine here and that we do not have lead poisoning from aircraft and how aircraft are just like cars and lawnmowers. This is the kind of crap I read online from pilots.
People refuse to come here and recreate thanks to the noise and pollution. This town has a bad reputation and a lot of people simply will not come back. The old Sedona was vastly superior to the new commercial side show Sedona. So kiss your dangerous, polluting, airport good bye, its being moved away from town. No more terrorizing everyone living or visiting here or the animals.
How much do you think the airport ought to pay for the death of Amanda at 21 years old? She died for benzene, hexane, toluene, and 2000 other jet fuel chemicals!
The crash was caused by something to do with the plane but if the airport were on flat ground they occupants would still be alive. Everyone knows it is a dangerous airport due to its location, geography, wind sheers, density altitude. Mccain’s people flipped a campaign jet on landing one day. No fault of the pilot, the wind is what it is. The day the airport is moved is the day Sedona starts to recover economically and it’s real estate goes back up in value. Look around, all the shops and stores are emptying out. People come here for a few hours or a day and leave.
We have read with interest this story and the comments, coming back often to see if new thoughts or opinions have been expressed. Tragedies involving children are never understood. Loss at such a young age is bitter.
When the lost art of conversation is rediscovered, it makes for interesting reading for these two Maricopa County (six years for six months annually) residents. A comment would be appropriate from former visitors to address the need for an airport and economy downside:
You may find it of interest that amongst our group of snowbird friends hailing from Wisconsin/Idaho/New York/Maine/Nebraska/Ottowa/Toronto/Oregon/Alaska, we do not prefer additional trips to your fair city and no one ever goes to Mexico any longer. We say this not because of a bias but because it is an aid to hear. We enjoy Flagstaff for a cool summer outing about twice a year.
We visited Sedona in 2004 for a friend’s wedding weekend. In some areas it does offer spectacular scenery but it is a tourist town and one visit for us is enough. For us (and many friends and acquaintances), Grand Canyon NP and Zion NP and Bryce NP offer better scenery with retained simplicity.
We cannot speak to the airport but living near one would not be a preference because of noise and air pollution. We do understand that tourists might like the access if afforded and suggest an impact study in light of health and safety questions. Maybe one of your fine universities could take on the task? Thank you for your interest and time to share these comments.
thumbs up ::-// to all
To Libby & Phil Tregesserio:
Quoting your words:
“Grand Canyon NP and Zion NP and Bryce NP offer better scenery with retained simplicity.”
This brings to mind other words uttered at a Sedona Planning & Zoning Commission meeting three or four years ago. With regret I cannot recall the wise commissioner’s name whose words, unfortunately, fell on deaf ears.
“You’re choking the charm out of Sedona.”
Even sadder is the admission by you and other snowbunnies with whom you’ve become acquainted is the rapidly growing reputation Sedona, as an incorporated City, continues to nourish with the ongoing march to destroy all things of natural beauty and small town character in exchange for the lust for profitable gains, same as other run-of-the mill tourist towns throughout former scenic areas. Your comments are a sound indication that delusional bright idea grows dimmer on a daily basis.
Thank you for comments from creditable observers with objective perspectives.
Dear Lane Badger!
You are one of the idiot’s that built or bought a home under the Airport that was put on the top of the mesa oh….sometime in the 50’s. So unless you can prove to us that you built your home before the airport was built and have suffered in your home since then….Well then SHUT THE (deleted) UP!!!!!!
Dear Poisoned and sick in sedona……….MOVE if you dont like it here, bottom line is we don’t wan’t whiners like you in our town!
Speaking of tourism, or lack thereof, because of “the charm” being “choked out of Sedona,” I happened to catch news yesterday that the Italian developer who literally took over Tusyan, now wants to build an airport to accomodate jets so that tourists from all over the world will be able to fly directly into the Grand Canyon.
Hopefully, this desire to “pave paradise and put up a parking lot” will be obstructed by those with saner minds.
Go read http://www.closetheairport.com jet fuel dumping on people is sick, inhumane and illegal.
I don’t call this “whining.” Tell the parents of all the children in Sedona with cancer and Amanda’s family they are “whiners” you sick degenerate.
Lane Badger’s husband also died from bladder cancer from living near the airport and was not a smoker. Lane also has liver pain and liver spasms, just like the rest of us.
Pilots are primarily a selfish, sick, arrogant bunch they look down on those of us who are not pilots. “Groundies” and “rampies” is what we are called.
Right because all the children in sedona have cancer because of the airplanes…. get a fricking life man!!!
So you are one of the idiots who cried about the lights on 89a I guess.. well I have been here since 1968 and let me tell you, all you drum circle new age freaky hippies have ruined sedona…no the airport has not ruined sedona all you jerks that have moved here have….and yes I am am a sick degenerate!!! so deal with it whiner!
P.S. maybe if you didn’t drink so much at the Martini bar or where ever, your liver would not spasm. And to think you are so upset as to what the pilots call you? get real man are you in kindergarden?…..who cares if they call you rampies or whatever……get a life ! lmao
I witnessed the roll-off, and the first thing I said to my breakfast party at the airport was, “why is he running with his props partially feathered, and he doesn’t have enough speed 2/3rds of the way down the runway?” I paid extra special attention because before he came past my viewing point at about 1/2 runway, his engines sounded like they were at max throttle, but his props sounded like they were feathered and not biting, which to me agreed why I perceived that he was going slow. Then I thought, “oh well, maybe I don’t understand planes as well as I thought…”, Then 3 seconds later, “boom”. I called the local FAA at Deer Valley Airport and left a message, but they never called back. That’s a shame because none of this is considered in the final analysis.