Radio Station Gets OK to Rebuild Tower Near Fullerton Airport

A proposal to reconstruct a radio tower, destroyed two years ago when a plane slammed into it, has been recommended for approval despite sharp criticism from Fullerton officials and local pilots who said it would be a glaring hazard.

The La Mirada Planning Commission voted 3-0 on Dec. 21 to recommend that the City Council allow KFI-AM radio to rebuild its tower at 16608 Trojan Way, less than two miles northwest of the Fullerton Municipal Airport.

Commissioners said they value pilot safety and that they are relying on a Federal Aviation Administration finding that the rebuilt tower would pose "no greater risk" than the previous tower.

"Nobody here wants to put pilots at risk, but this is more of a land-use issue. I think the applicant has been willing to compromise and it's an appropriate project," said Commissioner Gabe Garcia.

At the FAA's request, Clear Channel Communications, owner of KFI, agreed to build the tower 684 feet high -- 76 feet shorter than the previous tower.

Fullerton airport and city officials argue that anything taller than 500 feet is still too high.

On Dec. 19, 2004, Jim and Mary Ghosoph of Temple City, both 51, were killed when their single-engine Cessna crashed into the tower as they approached the airport to land. Pilots were routinely cautioned about the tower, originally erected in 1948.About a dozen pilots spoke out Thursday against resurrecting the tower, saying it would continue to pose a serious risk to pilots taking off and landing.

They said it would stand so high above other landmarks in the area that many pilots would be surprised by it, even in clear weather.

"I barely missed that tower once," said La Mirada pilot Dean Carson. "Common sense has to come into play here. ... It's a bad idea."

"The critical point is that they legally have the right to rebuild that tower and we're doing all we can to ensure it's safe," said Ian Gregor, an FAA spokesman, several weeks before the meeting.

In a seven-page report, the FAA said the tower would not be a substantial risk. The report concludes: "It is the view of the FAA that the cumulative effect of the reconstruction of the KFI broadcast tower ... will have no greater substantial adverse effect upon airspace utilization by any parties than did the previous structure."

The tower stands in the standard flight path as pilots take off westbound and bank right to avoid flying directly over the heaviest populated areas. On weekends, pilots often descend eastward toward the runway, over the tower.

Flight manuals suggest that they be at least 100 feet above the tower as they approach it. But, Fullerton airport manager Rod Propst said, the airport attracts many student pilots and weekend aviation enthusiasts who might not be fully aware of the tower's location.

John Foster, 59, a pilot who frequently flies out of the Fullerton Airport, said he understands that pilots had to deal with the previous tower, built in 1948. But he can't believe anybody would consider rebuilding it in the same place.

Foster said pilots frequently discussed the tower. It was part of training manuals and flight instruction. But it remained a frightening obstacle from the air because it often blended into the background on approach to the runway.

"I just don't see why they would risk making the same mistake twice," Foster said.A 200-foot-high backup tower has broadcast KFI's signal since the 2004 crash.

The problem is, Clear Channel officials say, that tower isn't tall enough to produce a clear signal. It reaches only about 75 percent of the 18.5 million potential listeners it was able to reach before the crash.

The radio company needs a stronger signal, not only to recapture its full audience for commercial reasons, but also because it serves as part of the area's system to broadcast emergency information in an earthquake or other large-scale disaster.

"Because it's an AM antenna, we need a large, flat area," said Greg Ashlock, market president for Clear Channel Communications. "We went through an exhaustive process to look for another location but the existing site remains the only place we could find that wouldn't interfere with other signals."

La Mirada officials drafted a development agreement with the radio company. As part of it, the city stands to make about $3 million.

Fullerton officials said the potential profits are clouding La Mirada's judgment.

"No amount of money can make up for lives lost," said Assistant City Attorney Kimberly Barlow.

Timeline

1928:Fullerton Airport is founded.

1931:KFI builds its first radio towers at the site on Trojan Way in La Mirada. The original site includes two 400-foot-tall towers.

1948:The signals from the KFI towers are used by U.S. military planes for navigation during World War II. After the war, the two towers are replaced with one 760-foot-tall tower that broadcasts a stronger signal.

December 2004:A rented single-engine Cessna slams into the tower -- 15 feet below the top -- destroying the structure.

2005:A temporary 204-foot-tall tower is erected on the same site.

2006:Clear Channel Communications submits plans to La Mirada to rebuild a tower approaching the original height. Fullerton Airport officials object, calling the tower a potential hazard to aviation. The Federal Aviation Administration declares it "no hazard."

Dec. 21:La Mirada Planning Commission recommends approval of reconstructing the tower to the City Council, despite objections from local pilots and Fullerton officials. Commissioners ask for brightest warning lights to be installed on the new tower.

What's next:La Mirada City Council will consider giving final approvals to erect a new tower. Meeting is likely in first quarter of 2007. Fullerton officials say they will object and may hire a consultant to study whether a lower tower could be built to reach same listening area.

NEW TOWER PROPOSED:KFI's 204-foot radio tower rises above La Mirada. Two years after a plane slammed into and knocked down a 700-foot plus radio tower near the Fullerton Airport, the station wants to rebuild a it.

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