Law Enforcement authorities discovered a home filled with unstable chemical explosives in a southwest Redding neighborhood. Shasta County Sherriff Tom Bosenko said the explosives are so sensitive that even the lightest touch could cause them to detonate. Rather than attempt to remove the materials, the decision was made to simply blow up the property.
Needless to say, creating an explosion of this magnitude is a rather hazardous action and one that will require the cooperation of numerous agencies and individuals to conduct safely. The FAA has issued Temporary Flight Restrictions (FDC NOTAM 4/9236)) for an area 1.5 nautical miles in radius extending from the surface to 3,000 feet MSL.
Though not encompassed by the TFR (as issued at 1300Z on February 15th), TFR does impact the traffic patter at the Benton Field Airport [O85]. Specifically, the southwest portion of the traffic pattern (left traffic to runway 33, right traffic to runway 15) will be off limits. It appears that landings to the south and departures to the north may be possible, but each pilot should determine the exact procedures they deem appropriate when operating in the Benton Airport Area.
Links to:
FAA’s TFR webpage: http://tfr.faa.gov/save_pages/detail_4_9236.html
Redding Record Searchlight News: http://www.redding.com/news/2014/feb/11/bomb-investigation-could-stretch-several-weeks/
