A HIGHLY AVIATION QUALIFIED CONCERNED CITIZEN PROTESTS A NEW RWY WITH ILS AT MENA; AR. HIS CONCERN IS THAT THE ILS SYS WILL NOT MEET THE FAA'S CRITERION FOR TERRAIN CLRNC.

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THIS RPT IS SUBMITTED IN CONNECTION WITH A PROPOSED RWY EXPANSION AND CONSTRUCTION OF PROPOSED RWY 9/27 AT MENA INTERMOUNTAIN MUNICIPAL ARPT (M39) AT MENA; AR. WE WOULD LIKE TO POINT OUT THE ADVERSE SAFETY ASPECTS OF INSTALLING AN ILS SYS ON THE PROPOSED NEW RWY 9/27 AT MENA INTERMOUNTAIN REGIONAL ARPT. MOUNTAINS PROTRUDE INTO THE SAFETY ZONE IN THE MISSED APCH PROTECTED AIRSPACE AREA. PROPONENTS SAY TERRAIN IS INSIGNIFICANT. (THEY WOULD PROBABLY CLASS IT AS VERY SIGNIFICANT IF THEY WERE ON THE AIRPLANE THAT HIT AN INSIGNIFICANT HILL WHILE EXECUTING A MISSED APCH WITH LESS THAN OPTIMUM CONDITIONS). FROM THE INCEPTION OF THE FIRST INST APCH TO THE ARPT IN THE 1970'S; HIGH PRECIPITOUS TERRAIN HAS ALWAYS BEEN USED BY THE FAA TO DENY ANY LOWER MINIMUMS FOR INST APCHS. THERE IS GOOD REASON TO BELIEVE THE DECISION TO ELIMINATE THE SAFETY FACTOR PRECIPITOUS TERRAIN IMPOSES ON THE ILS MINIMUMS WAS COMPROMISED FOR POLITICAL EXPEDIENCY. THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE IDEA OF EXPANDING THE ARPT. BUT; NOT AT THE EXPENSE OF ENDANGERING THOSE WHO WILL USE IT. THE ECONOMIC PURPOSE OF SUPPORTING AIRLINE EQUIP AT MENA IS QUESTIONABLE; BASED ON THE METHODOLOGY USED TO MAKE PLANNING ASSUMPTIONS AND ECONOMIC PERFORMANCE OF THE AIRLINES AND PARTICULARLY THE FEEDER/COMMUTER AIRLINES THE PROPONENTS SAY THEY PLAN TO SVC. IF A POLITICAL DECISION IS MADE TO IMPROVE THIS ARPT AS PART OF INFRASTRUCTURE MODERNIZATION; THOSE MAKING THE DECISION SHOULD ALLOCATE ENOUGH MONEY TO PICK UP THE WHOLE ARPT AND MOVE IT TO A LOCATION WHERE TERRAIN WILL NOT BE A HAZARD. THIS WAS DONE AT SIERRA BLANCA ARPT AT RUIDOSO; NM. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR IS A RETIRED USAF PLT; A RETIRED TEST PLT FOR A GA MANUFACTURER; AN FAA FLT EXAMINER; AND AN FAA SAFETY COUNSELOR. HE IS NOT SOMEONE WHO DOESN'T LIKE ARPTS IN HIS BACKYARD. HE IS VERY CONCERNED THAT THE PROPOSED NEW RWY AND ILS WILL NOT MEET THE FAA'S 50/1 CRITERION FOR THE MISSED APCH PROC SO THAT ONE CAN EXPECT THAT THERE WILL BE A CRASH THERE SOON AFTER THE ILS IS INSTITUTED. JUST YESTERDAY; FEB/MON/93; AN SMA CRASHED IN THE HILLS NEARBY WHILE ON AN IFR FLT PLAN AND ON AN AIRWAY BECAUSE OF HIGH WINDS AND TURB. THE RPTR IS CONVINCED THAT THE NEW RWY AND ILS ARE A POLITICAL PAYOFF FOR ALL OF THE GOV SPONSORED ILLICIT ACTIVITY OPERATING OUT OF THE CURRENT ARPT. THE RPTR HAS WRITTEN MANY HIGH OFFICIALS IN HIS STATE AND FEDERAL GOV PROTESTING THIS NEW PROJECT.