Editor,

We see from the events of last week in Washington D.C., that incorrect flight altitude can kill. In this case, 67 people lost their lives, likely because a military helicopter was flying at the wrong altitude. On average, there are far more military aircraft crashes in the United States than there are commercial aircraft crashes.

Here on Whidbey island, Navy aircraft commonly fly at altitudes that are in violation of FAA regulations. I personally experienced three flights over my home Tuesday of last week by Navy P-8A aircraft flying below 500 feet altitude. These aircraft were likely on approach to Ault Field some eight flight miles distance. At a standard flight descent rate, they could have been at an elevation of 2,000 feet. Instead they were one quarter of that altitude. Also by FAA regulations, these aircraft should have been 1,000 feet above any obstacle within a 2.000-foot perimeter of the aircraft. That would require these same aircraft to be above 2,500 feet of altitude.

Common sense alone demonstrates this gross error on the Navy’s part. With proper altitude, the pilot has a little more time to make corrections and adjustments if things go wrong in flight. The second consideration is noise. Noise is proportional with the square of the altitude. Flying at 500 feet is 16 times louder than flying at 2,000 feet, to those people on the ground below. One fourth the altitude equals 16 times the noise level. And finally, it just makes common sense, from a public relations standpoint, for the Navy to comply with FAA regulations, which benefits both residents on the land below and aircraft staff .

Common sense would also dictate that the first thing the Navy should instruct new pilots, and should remind experienced pilots of, is safety. FAA regulations are designed for safety. If Navy aircraft fly at the required FAA altitude, their location in the skies is more predictable to other aircraft. Collisions are better avoided.

When you call the Navy hotline to report an incident, you are first instructed to provide your name and address. Past history demonstrates that the Navy likes to cite how many times a complaint has been filed by a certain person. Is my name the most important part of this safety and noise complaint? Is that all they listen for so they can dismiss the rest of the complaint? I don’t know. But I do know that the way the Navy handles complaint calls and violates FAA altitude regulations is bad public relations.

Tim Verschuyl

Oak Harbor