An old episode of the TV sitcom M*A*S*H* featured a slightly cock-eyed airplane pilot who used to make daily raids always at 5 p.m., and had thus acquired the name “Five o’clock Charlie.” For several Secaucus residents, fiction has become fact to a degree as airplane noise over the north end continues to be a problem – especially in the early morning hours between midnight and 6 a.m. “One particular plane comes in very low,” said Councilman John Bueckner recently. “This one guy flies out about 4 a.m. every morning.” Councilman John Reilly, whose job has him up during that hour, said he had seen the same plane, and is seeking to get the number off the plane’s wings in order to complain. If Secaucus’ “Four O’clock Charlie” was the only plane flying just over the tops of houses, most residents would not complain. Unfortunately, some mornings, the sky seems full of such characters. From Trolley Park at the extreme north end of Paterson Plank Road in the evening, one can see the planes making their approach to the area’s two airports. The huge jumbo jets head south, still relatively high off the ground, before making their sweep east for their final approach to Newark Airport. While these planes may pose a noise problem for residents living around Route 440 in Jersey City, Secaucus residents find the smaller northbound jets much more irritating. Those seeking to land in nearby Teterboro Airport make their approach along the Hackensack River in a large curve that sweeps around over the north end of Secaucus before lining up with the runways on the far side of the river. It is a nearly ceaseless activity that rivals the mosquito as the most annoying pest in the Meadowlands, with jets often coming so low over the roofs of local homes that residents have complained of glassware rattling. People living around the commuter airport have long complained about airplane noise interrupting their conversations, drowning out their televisions, and dampening their enjoyment of barbecues and other outdoor activities. Rep. Steve Rothman (D-9th Dist.) has called the noise intolerable. “Banning flights during these overnight hours and ensuring at the very least that people can sleep would be a good first step toward improving the area’s quality of life,” Rothman said recently. Although protests against the flights have been ongoing for years, the issue took on new ferocity after last December’s Hasbrouck Heights crash, when a small plane bound for Teterboro crashed, killing four people. Old planes a problem Residents suffering through the additional noise during the day, along with the rumble of trucks and other such disturbances, are particularly angered at the nighttime activity, even though according to The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, flights in and out of the airport during the overnight hours makes up less than seven percent of its total daily activity. According to the Federal Aviation Administration, 60 to 70 flights land at or depart from Teterboro Airport between the hours of 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. each day, most of which are small turbo propeller planes or small corporate jets. The corporate jets generally weigh less than 75,000 pounds and may therefore still use older “stage 2” type engines, which are approximately 50 percent louder than the more modern “stage 3” version. Tests done for the federal government show that exposure to excess noise over a long period of time does more than just rattle people’s nerves – it can increase blood pressure and stress hormone levels. Protest was staged Two years ago, town officials – reacting to numerous complaints from residents throughout the north end – staged a protest against rerouting of air traffic over the suburban homes. Secaucus officials joined the fight earlier this month, continuing their objections raised in a project two years ago to curb low-flying craft over Secaucus. The Town Council has agreed to support legislation that would cease flights – except for medial emergencies – in and out of Teterboro airport between midnight and 6 a.m. “This is been one of our primary concerns and we intend to continue to play an active roll in opposing those flights,” said Town Administrator Anthony Iacono. Federal authorities said the nature of Teterboro Airport’s traffic has changed over the last few years, with larger jets and more corporate jet activity. Combined with airline traffic from Newark International Airport, Teterboro Airport, and LaGuardia and Kennedy Airports over the residential communities of northern New Jersey, there is “an intolerable level of aircraft noise for residents of these communities,” according to legislation proposed to limit nigh time traffic. In supporting the legislative effort, the Town Council hopes to help state official over come a two-year legislative logjam that has kept these restrictions from taking place. More than noise comes out of those planes Some local officials are worried about air pollution. In Moonachie, Councilman John Schwartz has expressed concern that jet engine emissions may be linked to a high rate of cancer in the town. “A lot of things come out of that airport besides airplanes,” said Hackensack Riverkeeper Bill Sheehan last week. “As efficient as modern jets are, a lot of unburned jet fuel gets pushed out and comes into the atmosphere as a mist. Some people in Little Ferry and Moonachie actually come out to find their automobiles covered with a film. Sometimes that film is made up of a cancer-causing substance.” Sheehan said he is hoping that data he is collecting will persuade state and federal officials to more closely study the region. In a 1993 air pollution study done in the Midwest by the federal Environmental Protection Agency, aircraft engine emissions ranked fifth on a list of potential Cancer-causing hazards. Sheehan said the environment faces other dangers due to airport activity, such as de-icing procedures done on planes during winter. “This requires spraying antifreeze on the planes,” Sheehan said. “While the state issued a discharge permit in 1982-86 listing a quantifiable number of how much material can be found in water in creeks, that standard was set 14 years ago, and air traffic has increased significantly at that airport. Antifreeze kills everything if it is breathed in.” Currently, the airport monitors itself, and Sheehan is pushing to have an evaluation done by an independent agency such as the Bergen County Health Department.
Four o’clock Charlie: Town backs legislation to limit air traffic at night
