Show city answers aeronautics D i r e c t 0 r C correspondence 0 r r es po n de nce follows report on accident at city airport replying to a letter ietter from J E garn cam director of the utah state aeronautics commission in which he advised the richfield city council the commission would find it necessary to close the richfield airport unless immediate steps were taken to clear all weeds from the runways a letter was sent to mr garn by a special committee from the city council wednesday the correspondence followed submission of a report by the aeronautics director to the aeronautics commission relative to an accident at the city airport on september 30 which resulted in destruction of a plane piloted by newton H crumley of elko nevada and from which three men narrowly escaped death the letter to air garri gam from richfield city signed by councilmen H W keate george hunter and J lerue ogden reads as follows v your letter under date of october 4 accompanied by a copy of your report to the commission has been received there is a strong intimation that a reply showing compliance is expected by you we desire to emphatically go on record to the effect that the conclusions and statements reached in both letter and report are not substantiated by the facts A A conference with the council members discloses that at no time nor at all during the present administration have you ever mentioned discussed or directed the correction of conditions prevailing atthe at the local airport except to caution a member unofficially concerning a cattle grazing hazard no colv conversations er have been had by you with any city official during the present year yet obviously the growth of f the weeds complained of originated during this period moreover there is no record of your p personal personal appearance before the council this year is there any communication from yourself or commission addressed to the city touching upon the matters you condemn it occurs to us that your training in and familiarity with cherich the richfield airport should impel you to officially acquaint the local authorities with the exigencies and necessities ce of the situation so they could be conversant with and fully advised of your desires the city officials are not aviators they do not know the technique of skillfully operating a port the airport as you know is infrequently used you individually use its facilities more than any other person and have always known of its limitations restrictions and inadequacies if any no planes are owned locally the officials are not advised as to the requirements for landing and lifting the various styles of aircraft A field has been made available expenses far surpassing local requirements quire ments have been incurred the field has never been represented as perfect or ideal but it has most adequately fulfilled the purposes of casual intended or emergency situations uati liati ons an am effort has been consistently made compatible with the resources available to keep the port in a satisfactory and safe condition the limited nature of our revenues coupled with the insistent demand for expenditures exceeding our available resources makes it obviously impossible to expend continued on page 8 |