OWLS HEAD, Maine — The unusually large amount of snow that has fallen during the past two weeks has caused problems at Maine airports.
“The recent snowstorms affected all instrument landing systems in Maine. The majority of the systems are back in service,” Jim Peters said Friday at the Federal Aviation Administration office in Jamaica, New York.
The FAA is working with airport operators in Augusta, Bangor, Brunswick, Rockland and Waterville to remove the accumulated snow and restore instrument landing system service at these facilities as soon as possible, Peters said.
Instrument landing systems send out electronic signals so pilots can know the horizontal and vertical guide paths to runways.
At the Knox County Regional Airport in Owls Head, the instrument landing system was shut down Wednesday because the snow depths caused the vertical navigation aid to send out inaccurate readings.
The airport in Owls Head does not record snowfall totals. The closest location where snowfall is recorded and reported to the National Weather Service is Mirror Lake at nearby West Rockport. Maine Water Company said Friday that 49 inches of snow has been recorded since Jan. 26.
Jeffrey Northgraves, manager at Knox County Airport, said when more than 24 inches of snow is on the ground, it can affect the vertical readings that are sent out to pilots. The vertical reading is sent out from a tower located about 200 feet to the side of the main runway.
During his 11 years as airport manager, he said there has been only one other time when the instrument landing system has become inoperable because of snow, and that lasted for only one day.
The system in Owls Head was shut down Wednesday and remained so as of Saturday morning. Notices were published to alert pilots, he said.
The instrument landing system is helpful when there is low overcast so a plane can fly as low as 200 feet to try to see the runway. If pilots cannot see the runway when they get down to 200 feet, they are not supposed to continue their approach.
Northgraves said the runways have been kept clear of snow and that the regular commuter air service has not yet been impacted by the temporary loss of the instrument landing system.
Brad Medeira, manager of the Hancock County-Bar Harbor Airport in Trenton, said the instrument landing system is working there because the snow has been cleared from around the vertical tower.
The problem at Trenton, however, is ice that fell earlier this week and then was covered with snow. The lack of sun has failed to melt the ice. Because the braking ability is nil on the main runway as a result of the ice, the airport was closed Monday and remained closed as of Friday afternoon.
The Wiscasset municipal airport was closed earlier this week when the snow banks created by plowing became too high for planes to land safely. The airport was reopened Friday but with limitations. He said runway lights are covered by snow.
The 3,400-foot runway, which is 75 feet wide, is down to a useable width of 60 feet because of the snow.
Wiscasset Airport Manager Irv Deck said crews were expected to try to cut down the banks this weekend.
Northgraves said the Knox County system will be turned back on when the snowpack around the tower is below 24 inches. The tower is located in an area that cannot be reached by snow removal equipment.
The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm watch for much of coastal Maine from Sunday night through Tuesday morning for 6 to 10 inches of snow.