Narrative:

A new neighbor of a small, privately-owned airport has built a large (and tall) new house directly on the centerline of its only active runway. The airport has operated for 20 yrs as a flight school, for scenic flts, aircraft rentals, game searches, etc. The new neighbor has made every effort to prevent aircraft from flying over his house. He has tethered helium balloons from his rooftop to obstruct aircraft in their descent to land. He has filed a lawsuit and failed to prove harassment or unsafe flying practices. On one morning, the neighbor drove his vehicle onto the airport, parked it beside the runway with a video camera and his motor running, as I was attempting to land. Not knowing his intentions, I was apprehensive to land, aborted my first approach and repeated the traffic pattern. On the 2ND attempt to land he had not moved so I made a low pass over the vehicle to encourage him to move his vehicle to a designated parking area. I repeated the traffic pattern again and on my 3RD attempt to land he had moved, so I landed and reported this to the owner. A restraining order has been asked for to prevent the neighbor from trespass and interference with the normal flow of air traffic and for safe approach and landing without fear of endangerment to life and aircraft. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: this airport has been in operation for many yrs. Since the closure of another airport in the area it has evolved into the community airport serving the customers of a nearby recreational area. The airport runway is built on an old railroad bed and is 5000 ft or more long. A normal GS for approach to the runway brings aircraft within 65 ft of the neighbor's house. The local judge has restr the neighbor from the airport. The airport owner has offered, at the neighbors expensive, to install a VASI with a 4.5 degree GS and move the touchdown zone 500 ft down the runway.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DISGRUNTLED NEIGHBOR OF A PVT ARPT INTERFERES WITH LNDG ACFT.

Narrative: A NEW NEIGHBOR OF A SMALL, PRIVATELY-OWNED ARPT HAS BUILT A LARGE (AND TALL) NEW HOUSE DIRECTLY ON THE CTRLINE OF ITS ONLY ACTIVE RWY. THE ARPT HAS OPERATED FOR 20 YRS AS A FLT SCHOOL, FOR SCENIC FLTS, ACFT RENTALS, GAME SEARCHES, ETC. THE NEW NEIGHBOR HAS MADE EVERY EFFORT TO PREVENT ACFT FROM FLYING OVER HIS HOUSE. HE HAS TETHERED HELIUM BALLOONS FROM HIS ROOFTOP TO OBSTRUCT ACFT IN THEIR DSCNT TO LAND. HE HAS FILED A LAWSUIT AND FAILED TO PROVE HARASSMENT OR UNSAFE FLYING PRACTICES. ON ONE MORNING, THE NEIGHBOR DROVE HIS VEHICLE ONTO THE ARPT, PARKED IT BESIDE THE RWY WITH A VIDEO CAMERA AND HIS MOTOR RUNNING, AS I WAS ATTEMPTING TO LAND. NOT KNOWING HIS INTENTIONS, I WAS APPREHENSIVE TO LAND, ABORTED MY FIRST APCH AND REPEATED THE TFC PATTERN. ON THE 2ND ATTEMPT TO LAND HE HAD NOT MOVED SO I MADE A LOW PASS OVER THE VEHICLE TO ENCOURAGE HIM TO MOVE HIS VEHICLE TO A DESIGNATED PARKING AREA. I REPEATED THE TFC PATTERN AGAIN AND ON MY 3RD ATTEMPT TO LAND HE HAD MOVED, SO I LANDED AND RPTED THIS TO THE OWNER. A RESTRAINING ORDER HAS BEEN ASKED FOR TO PREVENT THE NEIGHBOR FROM TRESPASS AND INTERFERENCE WITH THE NORMAL FLOW OF AIR TFC AND FOR SAFE APCH AND LNDG WITHOUT FEAR OF ENDANGERMENT TO LIFE AND ACFT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THIS ARPT HAS BEEN IN OP FOR MANY YRS. SINCE THE CLOSURE OF ANOTHER ARPT IN THE AREA IT HAS EVOLVED INTO THE COMMUNITY ARPT SERVING THE CUSTOMERS OF A NEARBY RECREATIONAL AREA. THE ARPT RWY IS BUILT ON AN OLD RAILROAD BED AND IS 5000 FT OR MORE LONG. A NORMAL GS FOR APCH TO THE RWY BRINGS ACFT WITHIN 65 FT OF THE NEIGHBOR'S HOUSE. THE LCL JUDGE HAS RESTR THE NEIGHBOR FROM THE ARPT. THE ARPT OWNER HAS OFFERED, AT THE NEIGHBORS EXPENSIVE, TO INSTALL A VASI WITH A 4.5 DEG GS AND MOVE THE TOUCHDOWN ZONE 500 FT DOWN THE RWY.

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.