Legislature(2007 - 2008)BUTROVICH 205
04/26/2007 01:30 PM Senate TRANSPORTATION
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HB126 | |
| SB139 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| = | SB 139 | ||
| = | HB 126 | ||
SSSB 139-LIABILITY FOR AIRPORTS AND AIRSTRIPS
2:03:46 PM
CHAIR KOOKESH called the meeting back to order and announced
SSSB 139 to be under consideration.
DAVE GRAY, staff to Senator Olson, sponsor of SB 139, said in
2004 there was an attempt to correct difficulties with limited
liability for private airports that pepper the state, which
ended up creating even more confusion. SSSB 139 is an attempt to
correct these difficulties by repealing the fee section of AS
09.65.093.
2:05:12 PM
SENATOR OLSON said that the bill came from a concern raised in
past legislatures regarding airport liability. He gave an
example of student pilot who lands at a private airport and runs
off the runway. This is done without permission. It's a
different story if you have permission. He said the confusion
came from the Xs on the runway, which according to FAA
regulations means it has been abandoned, not just closed.
2:08:05 PM
SENATOR COWDERY said that he is still a licensed pilot and said
the instrumentation on his last plane had a button to push that
indicated exactly where the closest airfield was. It didn't
differentiate between private or public; it's where you had to
go or you would crash. He asked if that was a common occurrence
for airplanes.
SENATOR OLSON replied no; said that emergency functions are
available in current GPS systems.
2:09:18 PM
SENATOR COWDERY commented further on aircraft emergency
equipment.
2:09:55 PM
MR. GRAY related a personal story about flying with a pilot out
of Kotzebue who had a rough engine and had to look for any place
to land and finally made it back to a place southeast of Nome.
2:10:43 PM
TOM GEORGE, Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, said the
state has many little airstrips and in many cases they are
maintained by dedicated individuals, groups or organizations who
volunteer their time and efforts. This statute was originally
intended to provide limits on civil liability for people
supporting rural runways either on public or private land. He
worked with the legislature a couple of years ago to improve
this statute, which passed with overwhelming support. However,
language in section (b) caused a lot of confusion and it led
people to think they had to close the runways to be protected.
That is exactly the opposite of the intent. He said this bill
seeks to remove that language and leaves the emphasis on the
protection provided by people who are willing to construct and
maintain airstrips on an uncompensated basis.
2:12:29 PM
SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI asked what the difference is between (a)
and (b) right now.
MR. GEORGE clarified that section (b) used to be limited to
private use airports. It said the limitation of liability would
continue if you closed the airport by doing the items that are
listed in parts (1) and (2). When it was changed two years ago,
the differences were removed, which caused the confusion. The
real emphasis here is section (a) which buys protection; section
(b) was originally there because of the difference between
public and private and that has become irrelevant from his
perspective.
SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI asked for the practical effect of removing
section (b).
MR. GEORGE replied that it simply removes confusion; it doesn't
change anything else.
2:14:35 PM
SENATOR COWDERY moved to report SSSB 139 from committee with
individual recommendations and attached fiscal note(s). There
being no objection, it was so ordered.
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