Plane crash wreck­age to be sold as sal­vage

MILLERSBURG — Wreckage from a plane that crash-landed at the Holmes County Airport on Dec. 21 is locked in a hangar at the airport and will be sold as salvage.

“The insurance company released that 175 that crashed out there a few weeks ago,” airport manager Larry Clark told the board of the Holmes County Airport Authority at Monday’s monthly meeting. “The insurance company was out yesterday and looked at it. It will be there two more months, as he has to post it for salvage. Whoever buys the salvage will be responsible for removing the aircraft from the hangar.”

Clark reported that he has tested a chemical agent (Urea) for deicing the runway.

“It worked great,” he said. “As long as it doesn’t rain, it will keep melting the ice, lasting five or six days. It’s about $200 per application, but it’s another option we can offer to other aircraft if they call in and ask for runway conditions. For $150 or $200 we can deice the runway for them so they can get in.”

Clark said that amount is cheap, because if people had to fly to Canton, by the time they rent a car and everything else, it’ll cost more than $300.

“Plus, their fuel is more expensive,” he added. “It’s another avenue we’re adding to the airport as a whole; another option for people in the wintertime.”

Clark said he gets requests from Wooster all the time to teach it how to clean its runway.

“If I can tell them we’ve got a runway clear and open, you can land here, maybe sell them gas, and help them out,” he said. “It’s another option.”

Urea is a chemical found in most fertilizer formulas. It is 46 percent nitrogen, which makes it desirable for use in fertilizers as a macronutrient, the first of the three numbers displayed on a bag of fertilizer, (NH2)2. Also called carbamide, urea is often used in areas where chlorides cannot be tolerated at all, such as on elevated walkways and in airports. But that same nitrogen is often a problem when used heavily in winter applications. Like any deicer used in excess, products with urea can burn vegetation and cause damage. 

The manager also reported that he has taken care of several deer that have made their way onto airport property. Clark said his grandson is clearing out some of the trees along the fence.

He added that mechanics are staying busy.

Brian Crosier, Stantec project supervisor, advised that he was checking on the closeout of the wildlife survey and he has yet to hear back from the FAA.

Crosier noted that the governor has been pushing Ohio Airport Authority meetings for call-in attendance to be accepted.

“By the May meeting, if you were not able to get a quorum here physically, you can call in and attend via teleconferencing,” Crosier said.

He added that the state will require tracking of income from taxes on aviation and fuel sales.

“More paperwork will be required with fuel sales,” Crosier said. “There will be a form for how much fuel was sold and how much you paid in taxes so they can track how much tax money going back into airports.”

Reporter Kevin Lynch can be reached at 330-674-5676 or klynch@the-daily-record.com.

CREDIT: KEVIN LYNCH