Airport Commission Faces Difficult Choice Between FAA Noise Study Funding and Night Flight Ban-September 4, 1986

Norwood airport commissioners are grappling with an ultimatum delivered by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA): the town must either accept a multi-year delay on its voter-mandated night flight ban or forfeit a federally funded $127,800 noise study critical to defending the curfew against anticipated airline legal challenges.

The FAA offered to finance the comprehensive noise study—which would monitor aircraft activity between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. and recommend noise-mitigation strategies—on the strict condition that the town legally pledge to enact no curfews until the study’s completion. However, Town Meeting overwhelmingly approved a night flight ban last year, which was signed into law by the governor last month. Commissioners expressed skepticism that the FAA would waive the clause, with commissioner Edward McKenna remarking, “This request is going to fly like a lead turkey.”

Federal aviation officials, heavily lobbied by pilot associations, argue that municipal curfews disrupt interstate commerce and strain Logan International Airport. SNAG (Stop Norwood Airport Growth) president Thomas DiFrancia warned against signing away town authority, cautioning, “If you sign the agreement, then the federal government can nullify any ban voted by town meeting until the study is done, which might be years from now… I caution you, don’t get town meeting against you.” Commission Chairman Edwin Page and commissioner Pauline Grasso voiced deep reservations about binding the town’s hands, noting that the multi-phase federal review process could stretch the timeline up to two years. Page added that if the federal government refuses to pay, the town is unlikely to shoulder the expense independently, leaving any enforced curfew vulnerable to being struck down in court.

Runway Intrusions and Aircraft Mishap Investigated

During the same meeting, Airport Manager Thomas Maher reported alarming runway security breaches, including an incident last month where a local resident walked their dog along an active runway. Two additional intrusions involved motorists parking vehicles directly on the tarmac. “I don’t think anyone would take their dog for a walk or park their car on Route I-95, but they’ll do it on an airport runway, which is far more dangerous,” Chairman Page observed. While Wiggins Airways ground staff intervened safely during weekend patrols, the commission resolved to install explicit “No Trespassing” signage, while Maher renewed calls for perimeter fencing to curb trespassing and aircraft vandalism—a proposal previously rejected by the town.

Additionally, Maher updated the board on an FAA investigation into an August 10 incident involving an aircraft that executed a hard landing, sustaining significant rotor damage before being towed off the runway. Local emergency services, state aeronautics officials, and federal investigators responded according to major protocol procedures, with a final mishap determination expected later in the fall.

Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger