Narrative:

I wish to report a continuing and long standing safety hazard at X59 in florida. The valkaria airport, owned and operated by brevard county, fl, incorporates significant vegetation on the infield between two intersecting runways, runway 14/32 and runway 09/27. This vegetation, in addition on the south side of runway 09/27 near the intersection of runway 14/32 creates a number of hazards to aircraft using the airport. 1) the airport does not comply with FAA intersection line of sight criteria, creating a significant runway intersection collision hazard. 2) the vegetation creates significant turbulence along both runways. 3) disabled aircraft on the runway are not visible to the FBO, county employees or other ground personnel on airport property. This has delayed assistance to disabled aircraft on at least three occasions. At some point this could very well lead to needless loss of life as aid is delayed to injured aircraft occupants. 4) the trees and other wild vegetation on the infield create a serious hazard to aircraft attempting to land with maintenance difficulties such as blown tire, locked or malfunctioning wheel brake, engine out, etc, that could readily cause an aircraft to veer off the runway during rollout. This situation has existed for at least the last 5 yrs. FAA has cited the county and directed the situation be remedied to no avail. The county has had 6 changes in airport management in the last 5 yrs, 4 in last 8 months. There is little hope that brevard county will remedy this serious situation at X59 in the near future. Please elevate this matter to an authority/authorized that can correct the situation. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states that there is a concerted effort by some local people who are anti-airport to close the airport. This has led to the frequent change in airport management since the battle to get anything resolved is endless and the mgrs give up and move on. At one point the county paved one runway and tried to have the crosswind runway closed. With assistance from FAA and pilot group the crosswind runway was kept open. The growth is like a jungle (being in florida) with tall trees and 15-20 ft scrub. FAA has made efforts to get some action without success. At one point the state took action and involved the DOT regarding a dirt pile that was a hazard. DOT gave the county a deadline to move the dirt and finally got action. There have been three instances of gear up lndgs where no one knew there was a problem until one of the occupants was able to walk into the FBO. The county has talked about cutting things down to 5 ft, but that won't help to let people really see other aircraft movement. Analyst recommended the hot line and regional FAA contact.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPT REGARDING HAZARDOUS CONDITION OF THE VEGETATION ON THE ARPT INFIELD. THE GROWTH IS SO HIGH IT BLOCKS VISUAL SIGHTING OF OTHER ACFT ON TKOF AND LNDG OR A DISABLED ACFT STRANDED ON THE RWYS.

Narrative: I WISH TO RPT A CONTINUING AND LONG STANDING SAFETY HAZARD AT X59 IN FLORIDA. THE VALKARIA ARPT, OWNED AND OPERATED BY BREVARD COUNTY, FL, INCORPORATES SIGNIFICANT VEGETATION ON THE INFIELD BTWN TWO INTERSECTING RWYS, RWY 14/32 AND RWY 09/27. THIS VEGETATION, IN ADDITION ON THE S SIDE OF RWY 09/27 NEAR THE INTXN OF RWY 14/32 CREATES A NUMBER OF HAZARDS TO ACFT USING THE ARPT. 1) THE ARPT DOES NOT COMPLY WITH FAA INTXN LINE OF SIGHT CRITERIA, CREATING A SIGNIFICANT RWY INTXN COLLISION HAZARD. 2) THE VEGETATION CREATES SIGNIFICANT TURB ALONG BOTH RWYS. 3) DISABLED ACFT ON THE RWY ARE NOT VISIBLE TO THE FBO, COUNTY EMPLOYEES OR OTHER GND PERSONNEL ON ARPT PROPERTY. THIS HAS DELAYED ASSISTANCE TO DISABLED ACFT ON AT LEAST THREE OCCASIONS. AT SOME POINT THIS COULD VERY WELL LEAD TO NEEDLESS LOSS OF LIFE AS AID IS DELAYED TO INJURED ACFT OCCUPANTS. 4) THE TREES AND OTHER WILD VEGETATION ON THE INFIELD CREATE A SERIOUS HAZARD TO ACFT ATTEMPTING TO LAND WITH MAINT DIFFICULTIES SUCH AS BLOWN TIRE, LOCKED OR MALFUNCTIONING WHEEL BRAKE, ENG OUT, ETC, THAT COULD READILY CAUSE AN ACFT TO VEER OFF THE RWY DURING ROLLOUT. THIS SIT HAS EXISTED FOR AT LEAST THE LAST 5 YRS. FAA HAS CITED THE COUNTY AND DIRECTED THE SIT BE REMEDIED TO NO AVAIL. THE COUNTY HAS HAD 6 CHANGES IN ARPT MGMNT IN THE LAST 5 YRS, 4 IN LAST 8 MONTHS. THERE IS LITTLE HOPE THAT BREVARD COUNTY WILL REMEDY THIS SERIOUS SIT AT X59 IN THE NEAR FUTURE. PLEASE ELEVATE THIS MATTER TO AN AUTH THAT CAN CORRECT THE SIT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THAT THERE IS A CONCERTED EFFORT BY SOME LCL PEOPLE WHO ARE ANTI-ARPT TO CLOSE THE ARPT. THIS HAS LED TO THE FREQUENT CHANGE IN ARPT MGMNT SINCE THE BATTLE TO GET ANYTHING RESOLVED IS ENDLESS AND THE MGRS GIVE UP AND MOVE ON. AT ONE POINT THE COUNTY PAVED ONE RWY AND TRIED TO HAVE THE XWIND RWY CLOSED. WITH ASSISTANCE FROM FAA AND PLT GROUP THE XWIND RWY WAS KEPT OPEN. THE GROWTH IS LIKE A JUNGLE (BEING IN FLORIDA) WITH TALL TREES AND 15-20 FT SCRUB. FAA HAS MADE EFFORTS TO GET SOME ACTION WITHOUT SUCCESS. AT ONE POINT THE STATE TOOK ACTION AND INVOLVED THE DOT REGARDING A DIRT PILE THAT WAS A HAZARD. DOT GAVE THE COUNTY A DEADLINE TO MOVE THE DIRT AND FINALLY GOT ACTION. THERE HAVE BEEN THREE INSTANCES OF GEAR UP LNDGS WHERE NO ONE KNEW THERE WAS A PROB UNTIL ONE OF THE OCCUPANTS WAS ABLE TO WALK INTO THE FBO. THE COUNTY HAS TALKED ABOUT CUTTING THINGS DOWN TO 5 FT, BUT THAT WON'T HELP TO LET PEOPLE REALLY SEE OTHER ACFT MOVEMENT. ANALYST RECOMMENDED THE HOT LINE AND REGIONAL FAA CONTACT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.