Sunday, November 08, 2015

Federal Aviaton Administration Stops Flights, Runway Repairs Underway: Elko Regional Airport (KEKO), Nevada



The FAA tells us that they completed their annual inspection of Elko Regional Airport on Friday and found that runway markings were missing on about 1,000 feet of the runway. Missing markings included arrows, centerline and edge markings, and taxiway lead-ins.

A lack of runway markings creates an unsafe condition, the FAA tells us, and regulations require that the airport restrict operations to areas affected.

The Elko Regional Airport immediately restricted all carrier operations to the airport, impacting Delta Air Lines Flight 7438 which had to be turned around mid-flight to Salt Lake City, Utah. Medical air ambulances and critical patient transports were also disrupted, the airport says.

Approximately 6,400 feet of runway is still properly marked but Airport Director Mark Gibbs tells us that the entire runway had to be closed to allow crews to make the repairs Saturday. 

An FAA inspector will be on site Saturday to approve reopening of that portion of the runway as soon as the work is completed. Elko Regional Airport anticipates that normal commercial air service to Elko will resume on November 9th with the arrival of Delta Air Lines flight 7438 from Salt Lake City.

Affected travelers are asked to contact Delta Air Lines reservations at 1-800-221-1212 to make any necessary changes to their travel plans.

Elko Regional Airport Director Mark Gibbs released a statement saying that the markings were obscured on October 31, 2015 as a phased component of a FAA Improvement Grant to reconstruct the roadway. Gibbs says the FAA had been notified of the obscured markings and were told to issue a Notice to Airmen to inform pilots of the non-standard runway markings. When an annual inspection was conducted November 2, 2015 the airport was notified via a Letter of Correction that the obscured markings created a significant safety issue on November 4, 2015.

The City of Elko has requested that the FAA investigate why the airport was closed despite following the FAA's guidelines while implementing the FAA funded construction project.

- Source:  http://www.ktvn.com

ELKO, Nev. (MyNews4.com & KRNV) -- According to the Elko Regional Airport, the airport was ordered to suspend flight operations on Thursday, after an FAA inspector determined the airport's only runway to be non compliant during an annual inspection.

In addition to weekend flights being placed on hold temporarily, the airport reports that one Delta flight had to be rerouted mid-flight and returned to Salt Lake City. Elko Regional Airport also reports that the current order affected medical air ambulances and disrupted critical patient care from Elko to Salt Lake City.

ELKO, Nev. (AP) — Flights to and from Elko are on hold until Monday after an inspection found markings missing on 1,000 feet of runway.

The Elko Daily Free Press reports the FAA notified the Elko Regional Airport on Thursday that it had to close the runway. FAA Pacific division public affairs manager Ian Gregor said it's a safety issue, and that regulations require airports to mark reconstructed runways.

Markings were obscured by a fog seal applied to the runway during reconstruction that Elko Regional Airport director Mark Gibbs said was approved and largely funded by the FAA. Gibbs said the FAA had ordered the airport to inform airmen about irregular markings.

He said the airport plans to issue a formal complaint against the FAA.

SkyWest Airlines is working with inconvenienced passengers.

Information from: Elko Daily Free Press, http://www.elkodaily.com


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