Cooper-Bessemer Co. v. Ambrosia Coal & Construction Co.

46 Pa. D. & C.2d 655, 1969 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 157
CourtPennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Mercer County
DecidedMay 2, 1969
Docketno. 2
StatusPublished

This text of 46 Pa. D. & C.2d 655 (Cooper-Bessemer Co. v. Ambrosia Coal & Construction Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Mercer County primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Cooper-Bessemer Co. v. Ambrosia Coal & Construction Co., 46 Pa. D. & C.2d 655, 1969 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 157 (Pa. Super. Ct. 1969).

Opinion

Acker, J.,

Defendant has, through a preliminary objection, raised a question of jurisdiction contending that neither this nor any other court of common pleas of this Commonwealth has jurisdiction to entertain an equity action dealing with obstructions to safe flight into an airport because the Federal government has preempted the field. This objection is decided solely on the grounds raised by defendant.

For the purpose of this opinion the facts as set forth in plaintiff’s complaint in equity are assumed to be true and correct.

It is alleged that plaintiff, Cooper-Bessemer Company, is the lessee of certain lands which are used for airport purposes in Pine Township, Mercer County, Pa., and that this airport is licensed by the Pennsyl[656]*656vania Aeronautics Commission to plaintiffs as a personal use airport for private operation. Plaintiffs have for many years used the airport for the transportation of executive personnel and materials between Mt. Vernon, Ohio, and Grove City, Pennsylvania, and for this purpose own and operate a Beechcraft Queen-air Airplane with a gross weight of approximately 7,700 pounds. The airport has two runways, one extending in a north-south direction with a length of 2,450 feet, and the other in a southeast-northwest direction for approximately 1,900 feet. Due to the weight and flight characteristics of plaintiff’s aircraft, it is required to use the longer runway and that there be no unreasonable obstruction to the approach of the aircraft to the runway.

Defendant has moved a dragline which is more than 35 feet in height into an area within 500 feet of the end of the north-south runway at the place where the approaches are made for landing. In addition, defendant has constructed spoil piles similarly positioned of equal height. The obstructions created by defendant have made the airport unsafe for use by plaintiff in preventing both approaches and takeoffs. This has required plaintiff to abandon the airport and required use of other facilities at a great distance.

Plaintiff claims violations by defendant of several statutes, i.e., the Act of July 27, 1953, P. L. 641, et seq, 1, as amended, 2 PS §1458, which defines the approach area of a runway of a commercially licensed airport to include all that area within the incline plane starting at each end of the runway and extending outward horizontally for a distance of 1,000 feet at a ratio of one foot of height for every 20 feet of distance for each end of the runway and having a width of 300 feet. A violation of this statute is a summary offense, providing each day’s violation to be a separate and distinct offense. Section 2.1 of that act provides that it [657]*657is unlawful to erect a structure within two miles of the perimeter of any airport above a 40 to 1 foot glide plane. In addition, section 656 of The Penal Code of June 24, 1939, P. L. 872, 18 PS §4656, provides that whoever erects and maintains an obstruction to the operation of aircraft of a height in excess of 35 feet above the level of the landing field within 500 feet of the exterior boundaries of any airport licensed by the Commonwealth is guilty of a misdemeanor, and each day’s continuation is a separate and distinct violation. Plaintiff concludes that defendant by erecting its dragline and depositing spoil piles is in violation of all of the above mentioned statutes. It requests that in order to prevent a multiplicity of actions and to determine the legal rights of the parties, an injunction after hearing issue and require the immediate removal of the obstructions to air travel. Plaintiff also requests damages against defendant for the erection and maintenance of the obstruction and such general relief as may be appropriate. Defendant contends the Federal government has sole and exclusive control of the subject and this court is without authority to consider the matter.

There can be little doubt that by the Federal Aviation Act of August 23, 1958, sec. 1108, 72 Stat. 798, 49 U.S.C.A. §1508, “The United States of America is declared to possess and exercise complete and exclusive national sovereignty in the airspace of the United States. . . .” Likewise, by section 1301, 49 U.'S.'C.A. §1301, subsec. 24, “ ‘Navigable airspace’ means airspace above the minimum altitudes of flight prescribed by regulations issued under this chapter, and shall include airspace needed to assure safety, takeoff and landing of aircraft.” Nor can there be question that the Federal Aviation Act was passed for the purpose of assuring a single authority to determine the rules for safe and efficient use of a nation’s [658]*658airspace: Air Line Pilots Association, International v. Quesada, 276 P. 2d 892 (1960). Therefore, it is contended by defendant that because the Federal government has placed itself into this vital field of commerce, the statutes previously passed by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania are completely ineffectual, unenforceable and void, and cannot be used as a basis for this action.

A most material distinction must be noted between regulations of the Federal government promulgated to assure safe flights in air and those statutes of the Commonwealth here involved. The Federal government by statutory regulation has sought to determine the height at which aircraft might fly over built-up areas, etc. So in such cases as Allegheny Airlines, Inc. v. Village of Cedarhurst, 238 F. 2d 812, same case 132 F. Supp. 871 (1956), strongly relied upon by defendant, it was held that a borough has no right to limit the height at which aircraft might pass over it, for this subject has been preempted by the Federal Government. The Allegheny Airlines case, supra, is clearly inapposite, for in the instant case the restriction is against the property owner as to the height at which obstruction to flight may be created. These restrictions are in assistance to the Federal regulations to permit better enforcement in providing protection for the traveling public.1

Defendant contends, however, that by a regulation of the administration — Federal Aviation Agency— Washington, D.C., part 626, effective July 15, 1961, now designated as part 77 of the Federal Aviation regulations, it is clearly indicated that the Federal [659]*659Government has not only preempted the determination of the height at which airplanes might fly, but also the height of structures erected within designated flight paths.

An examination of the above mentioned regulation indicates that it is to be applicable to the following types of impediments to safe flight.

“Section 626.2 definitions, (f) ‘Alteration’ means any construction which would result in a change in height or lateral dimensions of an existing structure. . . . (h) ‘Construction’ means the erection of a permanent or a temporary nature. . . (x) ‘Structure’ means any form of construction or apparatus of a permanent or temporary character, including any implements or material used in the erection, alteration, or repair of such structure.”

The obstructions to flight in the instant case are alleged to be a dragline more than 35 feet in height and deposit spoil piles likewise in excess of 35 feet. These obstructions, although just as dangerous as a structure, new construction or alteration of existing structure, are not governed within part 626 as contended by defendant.

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Bluebook (online)
46 Pa. D. & C.2d 655, 1969 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 157, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/cooper-bessemer-co-v-ambrosia-coal-construction-co-pactcomplmercer-1969.