Local News in Brief : Airport Safety Concerns

A group of Torrance homeowners, worried about a recent spate of plane crashes, has called on city officials to tighten safety measures and crack down on pilots who violate a ban on late night and predawn use of Torrance Municipal Airport.

The pleas by members of the Southwood Riviera Homeowners Assn., coming in the wake of three plane crashes last week, prompted council members to ask the city staff to study options for tightening controls at the airport.

“Every time I hear a sputtering engine, I now wait for the noise and smoke,” resident Gail Bedinger said.

Airport Manager John Cagaanan defended the airport’s record. The airport, which recorded 212,000 takeoffs and landings last year, is “very safe,” he said, but “all of a sudden when something major happens, it’s going to be highly visible.”