Narrative:

(Jzp) pickens county airport, jasper, GA, is a potential safety hazard because there is no water, fire hydrant or access to water close by for fire protection. There is a city fire department. However, this is a county airport with new construction using federal matching money for runway improvements to 5000 ft. This airport also never cuts the grass which is a fire hazard, and also is a haven for birds. Please help us acquire access to water. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that no changes have been made in response to the FAA letter, dated feb/xa/99. Though the runway has been widened, lengthened and repaved with FAA funds, no other improvements have been made. In fact, the instrument approach that had been in place has recently been removed. The overarching problem is that the grass is not mowed which causes the grass to grow tall and cover lights, encourages large flocks of birds and creates a fire hazard. The individual who oversees security at the field and keeps the grass mowed is quitting as he is not being paid for his work. In less than one year, the reporter experienced three bird strikes. He stated that jets land at the field and expressed concern that a jet could ingest a flock of birds and crash at this unprotected field. The reporter is extremely concerned that, in the event of an accident, the high grass will cause fire to spread to aircraft on the ramp and in the 10 to 12 hangars at the airport. He stated that there is a well-equipped city fire department, but that the airport falls under county jurisdiction. All the county has is a volunteer department. The reporter is convinced that the city will not attempt to cross jurisdictional lines to help if there were an accident at the field. There are no fire hydrants at the airport. The only water main does not produce sufficient water pressure even to wash an airplane. In the reporter's opinion, there is not enough pressure to put out a fire. There is no airport manager, nor is there a commission or a pilot's group.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A HIGHLY EXPERIENCE GA PLT RPTED THAT JZP DOES NOT PROVIDE ADEQUATE ACCESS TO WATER IN ANY FORM. ALLEGEDLY, THE GRASS IS NEVER CUT, CAUSING FIRE AND BIRD HAZARDS.

Narrative: (JZP) PICKENS COUNTY ARPT, JASPER, GA, IS A POTENTIAL SAFETY HAZARD BECAUSE THERE IS NO WATER, FIRE HYDRANT OR ACCESS TO WATER CLOSE BY FOR FIRE PROTECTION. THERE IS A CITY FIRE DEPARTMENT. HOWEVER, THIS IS A COUNTY ARPT WITH NEW CONSTRUCTION USING FEDERAL MATCHING MONEY FOR RWY IMPROVEMENTS TO 5000 FT. THIS ARPT ALSO NEVER CUTS THE GRASS WHICH IS A FIRE HAZARD, AND ALSO IS A HAVEN FOR BIRDS. PLEASE HELP US ACQUIRE ACCESS TO WATER. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT NO CHANGES HAVE BEEN MADE IN RESPONSE TO THE FAA LETTER, DATED FEB/XA/99. THOUGH THE RWY HAS BEEN WIDENED, LENGTHENED AND REPAVED WITH FAA FUNDS, NO OTHER IMPROVEMENTS HAVE BEEN MADE. IN FACT, THE INSTRUMENT APCH THAT HAD BEEN IN PLACE HAS RECENTLY BEEN REMOVED. THE OVERARCHING PROB IS THAT THE GRASS IS NOT MOWED WHICH CAUSES THE GRASS TO GROW TALL AND COVER LIGHTS, ENCOURAGES LARGE FLOCKS OF BIRDS AND CREATES A FIRE HAZARD. THE INDIVIDUAL WHO OVERSEES SECURITY AT THE FIELD AND KEEPS THE GRASS MOWED IS QUITTING AS HE IS NOT BEING PAID FOR HIS WORK. IN LESS THAN ONE YEAR, THE RPTR EXPERIENCED THREE BIRD STRIKES. HE STATED THAT JETS LAND AT THE FIELD AND EXPRESSED CONCERN THAT A JET COULD INGEST A FLOCK OF BIRDS AND CRASH AT THIS UNPROTECTED FIELD. THE RPTR IS EXTREMELY CONCERNED THAT, IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT, THE HIGH GRASS WILL CAUSE FIRE TO SPREAD TO ACFT ON THE RAMP AND IN THE 10 TO 12 HANGARS AT THE ARPT. HE STATED THAT THERE IS A WELL-EQUIPPED CITY FIRE DEPARTMENT, BUT THAT THE ARPT FALLS UNDER COUNTY JURISDICTION. ALL THE COUNTY HAS IS A VOLUNTEER DEPARTMENT. THE RPTR IS CONVINCED THAT THE CITY WILL NOT ATTEMPT TO CROSS JURISDICTIONAL LINES TO HELP IF THERE WERE AN ACCIDENT AT THE FIELD. THERE ARE NO FIRE HYDRANTS AT THE ARPT. THE ONLY WATER MAIN DOES NOT PRODUCE SUFFICIENT WATER PRESSURE EVEN TO WASH AN AIRPLANE. IN THE RPTR'S OPINION, THERE IS NOT ENOUGH PRESSURE TO PUT OUT A FIRE. THERE IS NO ARPT MANAGER, NOR IS THERE A COMMISSION OR A PLT'S GROUP.

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.