Narrative:

An automobile race track has been set up approximately 40 ft from an active taxiway at oar airport. The race track is located on a large vacant aircraft parking ramp that is adjacent to the taxiway. On the other side of the taxiway is the hiller aircraft facility. The taxiway and portions of the ramp on the side opposite the race track cannot be used by either fixed or rotary wing aircraft because of the close proximity to the taxiway. Cars racing on this track create a hazard to aircraft operations. In addition, skydiving activities occur at oar. The designated drop zone is located approximately 300 yards from the race track. The race track is segregated from the taxiway by a row of red traffic cones spaced approximately 30 ft apart and 40 ft from the edge of the taxiway. No physical barrier is between the taxiway and the race track. On a number of occasions cars have driven through the cones and drivers have lost control increasing the possibility of an accident. Skydive operations may also be impacted and possibly prevented by the race track. If unexpected wind conditions force a skydiver to land away from the drop zone and into the race track there would be little or possibly no warning for the race drivers. The race activity is approved by the city of marina as the airport operator. The race track is not in constant operation and other non aviation uses are also made of the ramp area. On other occasions, other events have created similar safety hazards. The FAA airports district office and FSDO have also been notified. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter's comments reflect his report. The FAA and FSDO have been notified!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AS A USER OF MARINO MUNICIPAL ARPT (OAR), THE RPTR EXPRESSES CONCERN OVER THE SAFETY ASPECTS OF ALLOWING CERTAIN NON AVIATION ACTIVITIES TO BE CONDUCTED ON RAMPS ADJACENT TO ACTIVE TXWYS.

Narrative: AN AUTOMOBILE RACE TRACK HAS BEEN SET UP APPROX 40 FT FROM AN ACTIVE TXWY AT OAR ARPT. THE RACE TRACK IS LOCATED ON A LARGE VACANT ACFT PARKING RAMP THAT IS ADJACENT TO THE TXWY. ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE TXWY IS THE HILLER ACFT FACILITY. THE TXWY AND PORTIONS OF THE RAMP ON THE SIDE OPPOSITE THE RACE TRACK CANNOT BE USED BY EITHER FIXED OR ROTARY WING ACFT BECAUSE OF THE CLOSE PROX TO THE TXWY. CARS RACING ON THIS TRACK CREATE A HAZARD TO ACFT OPS. IN ADDITION, SKYDIVING ACTIVITIES OCCUR AT OAR. THE DESIGNATED DROP ZONE IS LOCATED APPROX 300 YARDS FROM THE RACE TRACK. THE RACE TRACK IS SEGREGATED FROM THE TXWY BY A ROW OF RED TFC CONES SPACED APPROX 30 FT APART AND 40 FT FROM THE EDGE OF THE TXWY. NO PHYSICAL BARRIER IS BTWN THE TXWY AND THE RACE TRACK. ON A NUMBER OF OCCASIONS CARS HAVE DRIVEN THROUGH THE CONES AND DRIVERS HAVE LOST CTL INCREASING THE POSSIBILITY OF AN ACCIDENT. SKYDIVE OPS MAY ALSO BE IMPACTED AND POSSIBLY PREVENTED BY THE RACE TRACK. IF UNEXPECTED WIND CONDITIONS FORCE A SKYDIVER TO LAND AWAY FROM THE DROP ZONE AND INTO THE RACE TRACK THERE WOULD BE LITTLE OR POSSIBLY NO WARNING FOR THE RACE DRIVERS. THE RACE ACTIVITY IS APPROVED BY THE CITY OF MARINA AS THE ARPT OPERATOR. THE RACE TRACK IS NOT IN CONSTANT OP AND OTHER NON AVIATION USES ARE ALSO MADE OF THE RAMP AREA. ON OTHER OCCASIONS, OTHER EVENTS HAVE CREATED SIMILAR SAFETY HAZARDS. THE FAA ARPTS DISTRICT OFFICE AND FSDO HAVE ALSO BEEN NOTIFIED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR'S COMMENTS REFLECT HIS RPT. THE FAA AND FSDO HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED!

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.