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DFW Plane Crash Shines Light on Runway Safety in Lubbock

By: Nick Ochsner
Updated: November 8, 2012
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The crash between a plane and a car at a small airport in the Metroplex is a reminder to pilots at the Town & Country Airport in Lubbock about the dangers of their own runway.

Last week, a small plane was caught on tape clipping the top of an SUV as the plane was landing.

In the video, the SUV was driving right across the back of the runway at the same time the plane was trying to land.

Mark Drake, who flies out of the Town & Country Airport, tells KAMC News the same thing has happened in Lubbock.

114th Street runs about two feet behind the north end of the runway at the airport.

Drake said a small plane clipped the top of a pickup truck last year. Nobody was hurt in the accident, Drake said, but the truck was scratched and it caused quite a scare for the pilot.

According to Drake, accidents like that have almost happened many more times.

Because of that, Drake wants the County to put up sings along 114th Street warning drivers to watch for low flying planes.

"People that don't really know this airport's here aren't looking for aircraft," Drake Said.

In the past, according to Drake, commissioners have been reluctant to put signs up. We called Commissioner Mark Heinrich on Thursday afternoon to ask why the county hadn't put up signs and he told us its a problem the county is working to fix.

According to Heinrich, signs will be installed by the runway this coming Tuesday.

Something Drake said he's happy to hear.

"Any place in the world, the precedent is that aircraft have the right of way. reason being, a car can stop and wait. an aircraft can't stop and wait on a car."

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