Skydiving operation has Federal Aviation Administration blessing: Skydive Cape Cod at Chatham Municipal Airport (KCQX), Massachusetts

CHATHAM — Many residents believe the operations of Skydive Cape Cod — which makes dozens of flights and jumps daily — are unsafe.

A panel of six national experts answered questions from those concerned Thursday night during a discussion hosted by the town's Airport Commission.

Defenders of Skydive Cape Cod, including owner Jimmy Mendonca, say it operates within Federal Aviation Administration regulations and is safe.

Most of the nearly 100 people in attendance disagree.

Denis Glover is a full-time resident of what he said used to be a "safe, quiet town," but is no longer. He asked the panel members if they still believe in the decision-making process that deemed Skydive Cape Cod safe.

The FAA has not found any violations during repeated field inspections, said FAA deputy regional administrator Todd Friedenberg.

"We're fairly confident there is a safe operation here with regard to air traffic," he added.

Skydive Cape Cod has operated out of Chatham Municipal Airport since 2010.

Friedenberg said the FAA has three missions: "safety, safety, safety." During observations — unannounced and announced — over the past month of operations by Skydive Cape Cod, inspectors "haven't noted any anomalies," he said.

The Massachusetts Aeronautics Commission has made four unannounced trips to inspect Skydive Cape Cod in the past month, said Andrew Mihaley, aeronautical inspector for the commission.

There were "no abnormalities" among the operations of Skydive Cape Cod during those inspections, he said.

"I have never seen anything that broke rules during my inspections," Mihaley said.

But many residents claim to have witnessed unsafe skydiving practices.

Heather Mackenzie said she's seen jumpers during rainy and windy days near her home on North Skyline Drive. "It seems to me these are unsafe practices," she said.

While weather conditions may look unsafe on the ground, that isn't always the case in the air, said Alan King, northeast regional director of the United State Parachute Association, a group that promotes skydiver safety.

"Things can look different from the ground," he said, "and there's nothing against jumping in the rain."

As a homeowner near Lover's Lake — the scene of a Skydive Cape Cod plane crash into the water on May 12 of last year — Richard Nurse wondered if the FAA still believes Chatham Municipal Airport is suitable for a skydiving business.

"In one word: yes," Friedenberg said.

Action was taken with regard to the Lover's Lake incident, he added. When someone in the crowd asked what type of action, Friedenberg said he could not comment or specify, drawing "boos" from the audience.

In some 1,200 to 1,300 jumps so far this year, four injuries have been reported from skydiving in Chatham, said Chris Willenborg, executive director of the Massachusetts Aeronautics Commission, a division of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation.

Three of those were "minor tandem injuries," and the other was a broken ankle, he said.

After dozens of residents voiced their concerns about Skydive Cape Cod, Mendonca took the podium to ask questions of the panel.

The panel confirmed that there are no regulations on number of jumps per day or per week for skydiving; that Skydive Cape Cod was inspected at least four times over the past 40 or so days; and that Mendonca asked officials to "fully inspect" his operation.

But many residents are not satisfied.

"Citizens will not rest until the operation is ruled unsuitable," Nurse said, drawing applause and cheers from the crowd.

Original article:  http://www.capecodonline.com