It's a bird. It's a plane. It's a ... plane crash?

        That's what Linda Hoffman of Loveland sees every time she drives to Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport. Past Mineola Pike, on the north side of Interstate 275 West, is a large aluminum sculpture that looks like the tail of an airplane. It's pointed down, as if plunging into the shallow pond that surrounds it.

        How special.

        “I've never seen anything like that before,” says Mrs. Hoffman, who moved to the area three years ago and occasionally picks up guests at the airport. Her husband is an amateur pilot whom she accompanies on flights, so it's not as if she's terrified of the friendly skies. Even so ...

        “I couldn't believe it was so close to the airport,” Mrs. Hoffman says. “You're driving, you're looking around and you see what looks like a plane that missed the runway and is buried in the ground.”

The controversial sculpture: A plane crashing? (Enquirer photo) | ZOOM |

        The sculpture, decorated with official-looking red and blue stripes, sits in front of the Airport Exchange Office Park. It is indeed supposed to be the tail of a plane, but originally it wasn't crashing. The heavy structure is fastened to a pedestal with a ratcheted mounting bracket. Over five years, the bracket has ratcheted out of place, so that the “plane” is tilted down, says office park manager Kevin Gross.

        Houston, we have a problem.

        “We get people commenting all the time,” says airport spokesman Ted Bushelman. He fields one or two complaints a week from patrons upset about the sculpture, which has nothing to do with the airport. It was installed by the office park developer nearly 25 years ago.

        “I get everything from, "Why did you let them do that?' to "Do those people hate you?'” Mr. Bushelman says.

        “It's terrible. We've talked to them (at the office park) and they say, "Oh, it's a work of art,' and that's all we ever get out of them.”

        Mr. Gross says he has never talked with airport officials, but his company, Trammell Crow, has been managing the park for only two years.

        The airport theme is present throughout the office park, with the red and blue stripes serving as a logo to unify the entrances and buildings. Another sculpture of the tail end of a plane — this one not crashing — is on the other side of the park, Mr. Gross says.

        Of course, that side isn't visible from the interstate.

        Mr. Gross is aware that the sculpture gives an unfortunate impression, but “it wasn't done to make people nervous.”

        The office-park association, consisting of companies in the park, has inquired about fixing the piece. But that would cost at least $10,000 for a crane to lift the sculpture while the ratchet is fixed.

        “That's a lot of money just to straighten a piece of artwork,” Mr. Gross says. “If somebody's willing to share the cost to straighten it up ...”

        How about it, airport board? Can you spare some change on behalf of white-knuckle fliers?

        Then again, perhaps this is a disaster the federal government should fix. Wouldn't you know, the plane is crashing in front of a building occupied by the Federal Aviation Administration.

       Karen Samples can be reached at (859) 578-5584 or ksamples@enquirer.com.

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