OGDEN, Utah (KUTV) — Small plane crashes near Ogden Regional Airport have shocked local residents, but now pilots say there’s a “simple” way to improve safety in those areas.
“The least costly, if at all feasible, thing would be to reopen the runway they closed in 2016,” says Doug Lawton, a former fighter and commercial pilot.
Runway 7-2-5 ran east-west, unlike two other Ogden runways still in operation, which run north-south and northeast-southwest.
But when 7-2-5 closed eight years ago, the pilots said the airport’s owner, Ogden City, told them there wasn’t enough money to maintain it.
It is also possible that the FAA, which funds the airport, has stopped supporting maintenance.
In any case, the pilots said that the closed runway had more space for a disabled aircraft to land than the other two runways, and that the 7-2-5 pattern would keep air traffic away from the most densely populated areas.
“There was a highway with good ground clearance, fields and roads,” said Kim Matthews, a pilot, mechanic, former flight school owner and NTSB accident investigation staff member. “After takeoff, it’s all downhill, so if you’re in a heavy airplane on a very hot day, you can actually gain some speed and get some more lift.”
Archived reports from 2News show that there have been nearly 10 crashes near the airport since 1999, but the frequency appears to have increased since the runway was closed.
Although there is no causal link, our reports indicate that there have been at least six crashes since 2016.
RECENTLY at OGDEN Airport:
Roy Mayor Bob Dandoy and Weber County Commissioner Gage Froerer have floated the idea of building a new airport in western Weber County, but Ogden officials called it “unfeasible.”
On Thursday, 2News submitted questions to the city about the reasons for the runway closure and whether the city would reopen it.
“We are ready to talk,” said city spokesman Mike McBride.
“Is pretty much everything on the table in these discussions?” asked 2News.
“Yes, absolutely,” he replied.
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