Shame in the Northland

[Dick Smith]

Yesterday some lowlife individual or several of the same ilk slashed the tires on 87 aircraft tied down at Merrill Field in Anchorage.
Many of the tires were the large tundra tires used up here on bush-type planes. Whoever did it just walked the line, puncturing tires...taildraggers, tricycle, twin engine...! Many of these planes are used in business operations and we are just entering the summer tourism period. Alaska Bushwheels, which makes the big tundra tires here locally, has already started working three shifts...offering to replace their customers' tires at a discounted price. The parent company, Airframes Alaska, is the outfit that builds the new, sealed lift struts that some of us have used to comply with the AD on our Taylorcrafts.

http://www.adn.com/alaska-news/anchorage/2016/06/02/hundreds-of-tires-slashed-on-planes-parked-at-merrill-field/

This whole mess is going to create a lot of expense and disruption to flyers up here. Hopefully, the miscreants will be apprehended. Hard to figure people out. Dick

[PA1195]

Re: Shame in the Northland

Hopefully any active recording cams will reveal the perps.

In Fairbanks they spent about $2.5 mil a few years ago installing signage and access entrance arms to alert non-pilots they were at an airport. No security I.D.'s anymore, no cams, no complete perimeter fencing in non-movement areas, one sign that says access is for tenants/aircraft owners/escorted guests, but no enforcement. It's wide open in the General Aviation portion with Operations, Maintenance, and Security staff driving about but little if any contact as no personal or vehicle badging is required. They got rid of that years ago. Maybe this will improve security now that a Federal crime has been committed in Anchorage.

Edit: https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/32

Gary

[Robert Lees]

Re: Shame in the Northland

Wow, dreadful news. I see in the newspaper report about security, but then again if people are determined, they will find a way.

Hopefully the perps will be identified and apprehended.

It sounds like a vendetta to me.

Rob

[PA1195]

Re: Shame in the Northland

It's a bit late for pitchforks and torches in the case of the Merrill Field tire damage, but it does point to a need for some security and watchfulness at large airports. Recording cameras at points of ingress are a deterrent and perp finder if they're careless enough to expose their license plates or faces. Fairbanks International has none that I'm aware of; Anchorage airports have some listed. It's light 24/7 now in Alaska so those at Merrill were risk takers.

One year a float plane parked over night next to one of my earlier planes (I saw it but didn't note the ID). The next day my EDO 2000 float strut steps were gone ($400) along with anything of value in the unlocked cockpit. No record of transient parking permit or an N-number from the tower that related to a potential out of town float plane from Alaska (probably used a fake number in coms). Others reported lost items. So if there's a motive there's a way.

Airport incursions and deviations are quickly dealt with due to the enforcement hammer that goes with Federal airport funding. In this case it's apparently a Federal crime/felony and hopefully there will be resolution.

A game camera sitting on the plane's panel might be a good future investment.

Gary

[M Towsley]

Re: Shame in the Northland

Though someone may classify this as a Federal case, in reality the Feds are more about Homeland Security now. Thought it would be nice if Federal Investigators and Federal prosecution were ultimately used.

In reality, most video is crap. I have looked at hundreds of hours of video surveillance over the years of my career and most of it is horrible, too far away, no detail, out of focus, etc.

What will probably happen, and this is how people are caught a lot of the time, is someone will talk. If there is a big enough reward offered they will probably be caught.

[PA1195]

Re: Shame in the Northland

http://merrillwebcam.org/all-cameras/ Not much for detail. Not sure where the majority of planes were parked. Probably near the dirt strip to the south.

Edit: ..."slashed every tire on every airplane at Merrill Field gravel strip & all planes along north south runway".

One reward program and info: https://www.gofundme.com/27mw3bvw

Gary

[wlas]

Re: Shame in the Northland

I only hope the reward helps and someone rats the person out, this needs to stop. If they get away with it, its going to happen again. this could happen at other airports.

[waltermrich]

Re: Shame in the Northland

What a terrible report , with that many owners involved there will be a lot of ears and interest in catching the criminals , Hoping for the best. Incarceration is too good for such types.

[PA1195]

Re: Shame in the Northland

As Marty correctly suggested it appears so far to be a local LEO task: http://www.ktuu.com/content/news/POL...381681211.html

Ninja perps on foot? Seems risky and easily noticed if anyone was around.

Gary

[astjp2]

Re: Shame in the Northland

I will bet it involved some serious substance abuse. That part of Merrill is close to some really bad areas of town. I used to watch the homeless take and try to open car doors as they walked along 4th ave. Doesn't take much to hop over the concrete barrier and mess with a few airplanes. There is not much of a fence on the south side. I wish our airport would get rid of the cameras and badge readers, our airport manager is a real prick. Former chief of police that was ousted for an election rules violation, was rehired as the airport manager. Now they are out to take the hangers and make them city assets. Don't ask for too much oversight or you may get more than you ask for. Tim