FAA Obstructions Database

[CBMD]

Earlier today, someone posted the info below to a FoI forum I belong to. Thought there might be some interest here.


FAA OBSTRUCTIONS DATABASE: A USEFUL RESOURCE
By Michael Ravnitzky

The FAA has established a searchable site for aviation obstructions, such as towers and antennas, with a tremendous amount of information, searchable by location.

https://oeaaa.faa.gov/oeaaa/external/portal.jsp

Federal Aviation Administration rules require that a notice be filed with the FAA when someone proposes construction that would intrude upon airspace or near airport runways or on airport grounds. This includes anything more than 200 feet above ground level, whether new or an alteration. When the FAA gets a notice, it produces a Determination of whether or not a hazard to aviation exists.

If you click on the left hand link for VIEW DETERMINED CASES, you can search by State during the last 7 days or the last 30 days.

If you want older cases, just click on the left hand link for SEARCH ARCHIVES.

The archives allows you to search by year, FAA Region, City, State, Status, etc.

You can also download the Archives File by region or year by using the link DOWNLOAD ARCHIVES — the data is updated every Saturday evening. The resulting download is a CSV file.

You will notice that the resulting list of records provides you with the owner name and address and contact information, the latitude and longitude of the site (not the address), the site elevation, the structure height, the total height, and relevant dates and case numbers.

If you want to generate latitude and longitude for an address, or vice versa, you can use this handy tool:

GPS Coordinates Finder | Latitude and Longitude Finder | GPS Coordinates | Lat Long

If you click on the link for VIEW INTERIM CASES, you can view recently issued Notices of Presumed Hazard for the last 30 or 60 days, by state. Again, older items are available in the Archives.

If you click on the link for VIEW PROPOSED CASES, you can view recently proposed cases by state, either ON airport or OFF airport. Proposed cases are cases that are currently being processed but have not yet been completed.

A particularly useful link is DOWNLOAD CORRESPONDENCE, which allows you get download documents associated with either a single case or a range of cases. The search sends an ftp link to your email address from which you can download the material on a one-time basis.

You can also use CIRCLE SEARCH FOR CASES, or CIRCLE SEARCH FOR AIRPORTS, that allows a search for proposed hazards or hazard determination cases within a specified radius of a location (latitude/longitude) or an airport, or a particular case number. This is a more complex search and can take up to 30 seconds to retrieve.

The site also has a lot of other data including information on wind turbines, Frequently Asked Questions on various topics, and FAA acronyms.

[BLS2753]

This information has always been available. It's mainly of use to professionals who design airspace and instrument approaches, or builders who construct in proximity to airports.

I suppose there's some underlying thought that the extreme laypeople who populate this forum, will now be able to figure out "unsafe" airports where there's a high probability that their flight will hit some antenna or building. Otherwise, I don't see what interest this topic brings.