The Federal Aviation Administration and Oklahoma airport officials are expressing concerns that a proposed super-tall skyscraper in Oklahoma, which would rank as the tallest structure in the country, could impact flight operations.
The FAA’s Obstruction Evaluation Group found the 1,907-ft-tall Legends Tower could pose a “hazard to air navigation." If built, the study states four local airports could be impacted by the structure: Tinker Air Force Base, Wiley Post Airport, Will Rogers International Airport and Max Westheimer Airport.
The Legends Tower was designed by AO Architects and is being developed by Matteson Capital. A general contractor has yet to be named for the proposed $1.6 billion mixed-used development project in the Oklahoma City downtown Brickyard district.
Developer Scot Matteson told local news outlets that the project will be built, even if it needs to be below the planned height. Currently, the tallest building in the United States is One World Trade Center in New York City, standing at 1,776 ft tall. The 1,907-ft height of The Legends Tower commemorates the year Oklahoma gained statehood.
In a 37-page letter to the building's architect, Julie Morgan, Obstruction Evaluation Group manager, says landings, departures and en route procedures for airplanes would be impacted by the tower.
“The study disclosed that the described structure would have a substantial adverse effect on air navigation,” she writes. “This determination becomes final on January 13, 2025, unless a petition is timely filed.”
The FAA and local airports are concerned straight-in approaches could be unsafe. The FAA, according to the report, received 20 letters objecting to the construction, while only two approved of the tower’s construction. Major concerns identified in the objection letters were a need to “lengthen time and paths for aircrafts at the affected airports for both take-offs and landings,” the report states.
The director of Will Rogers International Airport stated in a letter to the FAA that due to The Legends' proposed height, an elevated minimum vectoring altitude (MVA) would cause airplanes to make longer descents, and "its location would also infringe on airspace for multiple airports."
The letter continues, the building's height would likely “increase travel time” for flights, adding “adverse changes” to takeoffs and “creating the safety of flight issues, across the state’s largest city, according to local outlets. ENR requested a copy of the letter, but received no response.
