LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) – A major overhaul of the North Las Vegas Airport is about to get underway. This comes after a deadly midair crash between two planes in 2022 and the demand for more aviation options in Southern Nevada with major events like the Superbowl and F1.
On July 17, 2022, two single-engine aircraft collided over the airport. Two people were on board each aircraft, all four died.
Then, in November 2022, a single-engine Cessna struck a hovering helicopter after landing.
The FAA sent pilots who use the airport a letter and held a meeting expressing safety concerns especially with the runways.
In May of 2023, the North Las Vegas Airport began strategizing changes and modernization. That Master Plan now in the final stages of approval. Currently, the airfield is laid out with two parallel runways and a cross runway. In the future, a longer and wider primary runway could replace the current one with more separation between runways.
“I have taught hundreds of people to fly and North Las Vegas is by far the most dangerous airport I’ve ever operated out of,” Will Bradley, an active flight instructor and a retired Army Reserve Colonel and Safety Specialist who flies in and out of North Las Vegas told FOX5. Bradley says changes can’t come soon enough.
“As instructor, my time is divided between teaching the student, giving them good quality instruction, and looking out for these other hazards. So, I’ve moved my students down to Henderson Airport, which I think is a lot safer environment,” Bradley contended.
The NTSB just released their final report earlier this month for that deadly crash back in summer 2022. The report says pilot error, (one aircraft lining up for landing the wrong runway), controller mistakes, and controller staffing shortages were contributing factors of the accident.
FOX5 reached out to the airport Monday afternoon to find out when is the Master Plan is expected to be approved by the FAA and when construction is set to begin. We will let you know when we hear back.
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