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Pilots Urged To Avoid Flying Close To Ruins At Tonto National Monument

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Published Date

October 30, 2020
Pilots of air tours are being asked to stop flying close to ruins at Tonto National Monument/NPS file

Pilots of air tours are being asked to stop flying close to ruins at Tonto National Monument/NPS file

Problems with tour aircraft flying too close to ruins, an issue Montezuma Castle National Monument in northern Arizona reported earlier this year, are now being reported at Tonto National Monument east of Phoenix.

Park staff said Friday that tour helicopters and private fixed-wing aircraft have been "flying dangerously close to the Tonto National Monument cliff dwellings" and other National Park Service archaeological sites in Arizona for several years. Studies show flying close to archaeological sites, cliff dwellings, and historic structures can cause serious damage to these culturally significant sites, a release from Tonto said.

"Vibrations from these events can easily destroy or irreparably harm the 700-year-old ceilings and masonry walls of the Lower and Upper Cliff Dwellings at Tonto National Monument," it added.

To protect archaeological sites and other noise sensitive areas, the Federal Aviation Administration advises pilots to fly no lower than 2,000 feet over national park units. Damage to these sites caused by irresponsible flying can result in civil and criminal penalties.

While these sites are ancestral and sacred places for Native Americans and support the local tourist economy, helicopter companies and private pilots must take a more active role in protecting these national heritage resources, said Tonto's release. Companies must be responsible stewards of archaeological sites by flying responsibly and respectfully, it added.

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