Santa Clara County Responds to FAA Informal Investigation

County addresses alleged violations at Reid-Hillview Airport in 12-page letter.

Friday, January 14, 2022 at 03:35 PM ET

Verified

The FAA has launched a Part 13 investigation at Reid-Hillview Airport (KRHV) in San Jose, California. [Courtesy: San Jose Convention and Visitor Bureau]

Key Takeaways:

Santa Clara County has formally responded to an FAA investigation, refuting allegations of violations at Reid-Hillview Airport (KRHV) in a 12-page letter.
The county defends its ban on the sale of leaded 100LL aviation fuel, asserting it used proprietary authority over county-owned fuel tanks for public health reasons and did not require FAA approval.
It also refutes claims of attempting a "de facto closure" of KRHV through short-term business leases, stating FBOs have one-year leases and the airport remains operational while exclusively selling unleaded fuel.

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Officials from Santa Clara County in California are refuting allegations that sparked an informal investigation by the FAA into alleged violations at Reid-Hillview Airport (KRHV). The county responded with a 12-page letter, addressed to Mark McClardy, FAA director of airports division for the Western-Pacific Region.

On December 21, McClardy sent a letter to Santa Clara County, announcing the launch of a Part 13 informal investigation. Under normal circumstances, an entity has 30 days to respond to an FAA Part 13 informal investigation, but McClardy stated that given the seriousness of the allegations made, the FAA was granting only 20 days for a response.