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December 10, 2015 - The FAA as issued a Notice
to Airmen (NOTAM), 5/3842 to alert aircraft
pilots of the potential hazards of a methane gas
leak at a Southern California Gas Company’s (SoCalGas) Aliso Canyon
storage facility in the
Santa Susana Mountains
and that a no-fly zone has been put in place.
The NOTAM which was issued on December 09,
restricts pilots from flying aircraft within a
half-mile radius of the site, (PORTER RANCH,
California
near VAN NUYS VOR/DME (VNY)) and extends up to
2,000 feet above the surface. The NOTAM was
issued out of fear that pilots could experience
health problems if entered into the airspace and
that aircraft flying over the area could ignite
the gas.
Allen Kenitzer, an FAA spokesman said he
believed the order was requested “out of
concerns that the fumes from the gas leak could
be ignited from the air.” Methane gas is
extremely flammable and can form explosive
mixtures with air. In a statement by SoCalGas,
they reported the no fly zone was issued over
the area “due to heightened media interest in
the area, and out of an abundance of caution.”
The NOTAM will remain in affect until March 8,
2016.
SoCalGas which provides methane gas service for
approximately 21.4 million customers in
California discovered a ruptured pipe on October 23, at
one of its natural gas storage wells at its Aliso Canyon
storage field.
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