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Pilot urges county to finish graded landing area at Libby airport, warns of risk to aircraft
Summary
Pilot and resident Lonnie Fosgate urged the county to finish compacting a grassy landing area at the county airport, saying exposed rocks and ruts could cause substantial damage to tricycle-gear aircraft and offered to volunteer labor and materials to help complete the surface.
During non-agenda public comment, Lonnie Fosgate identified himself as a pilot who uses the county airport and urged county officials to finish a recently graded grassy landing area that currently has exposed rocks and ruts.
"My name is Lonnie Fosgate, and I'm here just I am a pilot out at the airport," Fosgate said. He described rocks protruding above the surface and rutting left by preliminary compaction. "If somebody landed with a tricycle gear, I'm afraid if they hit a rut, they would wreck," he told the board, adding that damage could be costly even if injuries were unlikely.
Fosgate offered to volunteer time and to spread sweepings or other fill materials if the county could provide truckloads of material and short-term use of a compactor to finish the final third of the graded strip.
Commissioners said they would raise the concern with the airport manager, Rob Fox, and asked staff to delay unauthorized landings until the surface is finished. The county suggested the airport manager and airport board be asked to coordinate completion and consider asking personnel to tour the site.
