Boston Water Supply - Quabbin Reservoir Plane Crash

After the recent crash near the Quabbin Reservoir by a local hobby pilot who experienced engine trouble in his 1946 antique aircraft, the gap in how risk is managed at Masachusetts' largest public water resources has been revealed.  

Drones are banned outright at both Quabbin and the Wachusett Reservoir, yet small aircraft, which have a far greater potential impact as demonstrated by this recent crash, continue to transit the airspace above the reservoirs, and in the case of area flight schools, loiter over these resources as flight schools have taken the space for practicing concentrated and repetitive flight maneuvers.

The risk from recreational aircraft has been known for decades.  

In 2001, the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority asked the Federal Aviation Administration to establish restricted airspace and a 3,500-foot minimum altitude over the reservoirs to reduce risk, but the FAA declined, citing its sole authority over U.S. airspace and stating it lacked a regulatory basis to impose restrictions without a specific, credible threat.

FAA should use its authority to designate special airspace restrictions at MA critical infrastructure like the state's reservoirs and supporting watersheds. Per the FAA on Special Use Airspace:

Special Use Airspace (or Special Area of Operation) is the designation for airspace in which certain activities must be confined, or where limitations may be imposed on aircraft operations that are not part of those activities. Certain special use airspace areas can create limitations on the mixed use of airspace. The special use airspace depicted on sectional charts includes the area name or number, effective altitude, time and weather conditions of operation, the controlling agency, and the chart panel location. On National Aeronautical Charting Group (NACG) sectional charts, this information is available on one of the end panels.

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To see the MWRA meeting notes from 2001, click here. Of note: "MWRA is currently reviewing its emergency response plans. There are two potential threats to the system: physical destruction, which is of the most concern; and chemical or biological contamination of the water supply. The Authority is monitoring the water every day. It would take a great amount of chemicals to do harm to the water supply because of the dilution in the vast amounts of water. The larger threat is an infrastructure assault or interference with system connections...There was a concern after two small aircraft flew over the Quabbin Reservoir, which caused the Authority to shut the Quabbin down and run additional tests to verify that nothing had been dropped from the aircraft. MWRA is currently working with the FAA to limit flights over the Reservoir and asking airports to advise airplanes to avoid the Reservoir."

The former MWRA Water Policy states: "On October 22nd, the Federal Aeronautics Administration (FAA) issued a Notice to Airmen (see right) "strongly urged to not circle or loiter over" reservoirs and dams. MWRA and MDC have made a request to the FAA for a prohibition on air flights under 3,500 feet for airspace over the Quabbin and Wachusett Reservoirs."

Per a US Army Corps of Engineers news release, Prohibition on the Use of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS)
on Federal Lands under the Jurisdiction of the New England District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, "The use of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), such as drones, are prohibited on or above federal lands and waters managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New England District. This prohibition applies regardless of the location of the operator...No areas within the New England District’s jurisdiction, including recreation sites, dams, reservoirs and the Cape Cod Canal, have been designated for drone use by the District Commander."