A group of North County residents is asking the county Board of Supervisors to push for tighter safety and noise restrictions at McClellan-Palomar Airport in Carlsbad.

The residents say they are worried about frequent flights over their homes, noting that there have been 16 airplane crashes and 16 deaths related to those accidents at the airport since 2000.

Several residents took their concerns -- and their suggestions to improve airport operations -- to the Board of Supervisors on Wednesday because they said they felt ignored by airport authorities and Supervisor Bill Horn.

A group of about half a dozen residents spoke under the open comments segment of the supervisors' meeting. Because the issue was not on the agenda, the supervisors did not take any action on the matter.

County officials say the airport is safe and that it has gotten quieter over the years because of improvements in airplane engine technology. Moreover, they say some of the changes the residents want, including flight path restrictions, are not under the county's control.

Dwight Webster, a spokesman for the residents, said his group wants the county to appeal on its behalf to the Federal Aviation Authority, which does have the authority.

The agency has said it would not consider a mandatory flight pattern unless it was requested by airport authorities.

Palomar Airport is safe, but has some quirks --- such as unpredictable weather and a relatively short runway -- that require extra caution from out-of-town pilots who might not be familiar with it, a Federal Aviation Administration spokesman said recently.

Residents have complained for years about the noise that planes make over their homes. Dozens of residents have attended Palomar Airport Advisory Board meetings in recent years to complain about noise issues.

Residents say they want pilots to adhere to a voluntary flight path that encourages planes to head west along Palomar Airport Road and out over the ocean before they turn north, south or east.

The group said it would like to see the route become mandatory instead of voluntary, because it is safer than sending planes over homes.

"What we signed up for was a mom-and-pop airport," Webster said. "It's not that anymore."

Webster and the other residents said they have sought Horn's assistance for years, but have gotten little attention. Horn's North County district includes the 255-acre airport property, which is owned by the county.

A spokesman for Horn said aides to the supervisor have met with members of the residents' group, but he referred further questions on the matter to county airports director Peter Drinkwater.

Drinkwater said recent FAA reports show the airport is not noisy for a facility its size, and that it is safe.

"The airport is not unsafe," Drinkwater said. "The accident rate is below the national average on airports of our size. We have a good record, despite that we have had some accidents."

Palomar is one of the busiest small airports in the nation, according to airport authorities, with more than 200,000 landings and takeoffs each year. It is used primarily by corporate jets and private plane enthusiasts and is located northwest of Palomar Airport Road and El Camino Real.

When the county acquired the airport property some 50 years ago, there were few structures around it. These days, the airport is virtually surrounded by thousands of homes and business parks.

Recent accidents in the area have heightened residents' fears, members of the group said.

In late September, a pilot died in a crash two miles southeast of the airport. The pilot had missed a landing approach and was trying to fly around for another attempt when the plane went down.

One week earlier, a student pilot and passenger were hurt when a small, two-seater plane that had just taken off from the airport crashed into a canyon on the edge of a city-owned golf course just west of the runway.

Contact staff writer Edward Sifuentes at (760) 740-3511 or esifuentes@nctimes.com.