Yikes.

A new study by the Federal Aviation Administration says the North Las Vegas Airport ranks among the worst when it comes to close calls on runways. Between 1999 and 2002, the FAA says North Las Vegas (NV) experienced 34 "incursions," or anything on a runway that can create a collision hazard or compromises the ability to avoid a runway collision.

Los Angeles International Airport tied with North Las Vegas for the number of incursions.  Las Vegas' McCarran International had 13 incursions during the same period.

North Las Vegas is mainly used for general aviation and pilot training.  A spokeswoman for the airport says there have been improvements in lighting and runway layout in recent years, and that safety is improving at North Las Vegas.  The airport recorded about 900-thousand landings and takeoffs between 1999 and 2002.

North Las Vegas Airport opened on December 7, 1941 as Sky Haven Airport. The airport remained under a series of private owners until the City of North Las Vegas purchased it in 1966. In 1967, Howard Hughes purchased the facility from the City of North Las Vegas.

The airport remained a Howard Hughes property until Clark County purchased it in 1987 as the general aviation reliever for McCarran International Airport. During the past 13 years, Clark County has spent more than $40 million to improve the airfield.

In 1999, a Memorial Park was dedicated in memory of Gus Sabo, who was the Manager for NLVA when his Long E-Z went into the Gulf of California, off the Baja Peninsula. This park provides a beautiful landscaped area to picnic, in addition to being able to park your vehicle, watch, and listen to tower operations by tuning 88.5 FM.

North Las Vegas is the second busiest airport in Nevada, logging more than 230,000 operations annually. NLVA is now home to a new state-of-the-art FAA Air Traffic Control Tower equipped with the latest technology designed to enhance safety and improve operating efficiency.

FMI: www.mccarran.com/ga_nlv.html