--- In BATN@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, "4/14 SJ Business Journal" <batn@...> wrote: Published Friday, April 14, 2006, by the San Jose Business Journal Towers' OK a worry for airlines By Andrew F. Hamm American Airlines says it will be forced to reduce the weight of its aircraft taking off to the south from Mineta San Jose and several other airlines may follow suit now that a condominium tower planned for downtown San Jose has passed Federal Aviation Administration muster. The FAA's ruling that the 309-foot Almaden Towers planned for the empty lot next to the DeAnza Hotel would not create a hazard for large aircraft during routine take-offs to the south is good news for developers. But it presents an operations headache for airlines that may be forced to leave some passengers or cargo at the gate to assure a plane is light enough to clear the new tower in an emergency situation. At least three airlines -- American, Southwest and Alaska -- have objected to the project, claiming it would provide a hazard should an aircraft lose an engine on departure. "The building meets (FAA) due diligence," says Southwest spokeswoman Marilee McInnis. "However, their due diligence is not our due diligence." American Airlines spokesman John Hotard says it is studying ways to make sure its southern takeoffs remain safe. "It looks like we would be prohibited to take off with a full (passenger) load or full freight load," Mr. Hotard says. "We might have to leave passengers at the gate, depending on weather and other conditions." Aircraft at Mineta San Jose usually take off in a northerly direction away from the downtown area. But wind shifts require southern takeoffs about 20 percent of the time, airport officials say. The building's height apparently isn't a factor on landings at Mineta San Jose. The FAA requires all airlines to have a plan in place that would allow an aircraft to survive the loss of one engine on takeoff. Individual airlines have wide latitude to develop their own emergency procedures. The procedures vary depending on aircraft, weight and airline philosophy. While it is possible that an airline could change its one-engine out procedure, doing that is tricky. The procedure is usually uniform for all airports and it would be a logistical nightmare to teach a different procedure for one airport, especially a mid-size airport like Mineta San Jose. Building heights are a major concern for airlines around the country because losing passengers or belly freight to meet weight requirements cost airlines money and hurts a company's reputation. Several California airports, including San Francisco and Los Angeles International, have weight restrictions on certain flights. Spring Capital Group of Eugene, Ore., which is developing the 228-foot-tall, 22-story condo tower, claims its proposed structure is no taller than the nearby office tower at 225 W. Santa Clara St., former known as the Opus Center, and therefore creates no new hazard. The height of the former Opus Center building remains in question. It is listed at various heights in different databases, ranging from 212 to 309 feet. The building managers have told the Business Journal the building is 309 feet tall. The proposed $150 million, 330-condo Almaden Tower will sit on an 81-foot-tall hill, making it 309 feet above sea level, which is how the FAA measures buildings. The FAA report on Almaden Towers concedes the building's height does exceed federal obstruction standards, "but that alone does not identify the structure as a hazard." The report points out that the FAA does not have the authority to grant or deny construction permits and that under FAA guidelines, "the building has no substantial adverse effect to the navigable airspace." The city is spending $150,000 to measure virtually all downtown buildings to get a verified database of existing buildings as well as help San Jose's City Council develop a uniform policy for new building heights. The report is tentatively scheduled to be completed May 1. There are at least 10 high-rise developments being contemplated in downtown San Jose that could be affected by this study. Southwest and American officials say they will wait until that study is completed before making flight changes. Some airline officials were reportedly shocked to find out that there were no reliable reports on the heights of San Jose's downtown buildings. "We don't know what is out there," says Kevin Wiecek, flight operations engineer for Southwest Airlines. Andrew F. Hamm covers transportation for the Business Journal. He can be reached at 408-299-1841 --- End forwarded message ---