Nebraska § 3-407.01 - Meteorological evaluation tower; marking; owner; registration; contents; duties; failure to comply; effect.

§ 3-407.01. Meteorological evaluation tower; marking; owner; registration; contents; duties; failure to comply; effect.

(1) A meteorological evaluation tower, the height of which is at least fifty feet above the surface of the ground at point of installation, shall be marked according to subsection (2) of this section. This section applies to a meteorological evaluation tower that is located outside the corporate limits of a city or village.

(2) A meteorological evaluation tower described in subsection (1) of this section shall: (a) Be painted in seven equal-width and alternating bands of aviation orange and white beginning with orange at the top of the tower and ending with orange at the base; (b) have two or more spherical marker balls at least twenty-one inches in diameter that are aviation orange in color and attached to each outer guy wire connected to the tower with the top ball no further than twenty feet from the top wire connection and the remaining ball or balls at or below the midpoint of the tower on the outer guy wires; and (c) have yellow safety sleeves installed on each outer guy wire extending at least fourteen feet above the anchor point of the guy wire.

(3) The owner of a meteorological evaluation tower subject to this section shall, not less than ten business days prior to erecting the tower, register with the Division of Aeronautics of the Department of Transportation the name and address of the owner, the height and location of the tower, and any other information that the division deems necessary for aviation safety. The owner of a tower subject to this section shall also report the removal of the tower to the division not more than thirty business days after its removal. The division shall make the information received pursuant to this subsection available to the public within five business days.

(4) The owner of a meteorological evaluation tower described in subsection (1) of this section that was erected prior to May 28, 2015, and which is either lighted, marked with balls at least twenty-one inches in diameter, painted, or modified in some other manner so it is recognizable in clear air during daylight hours from a distance of not less than two thousand feet, shall mark the tower as required by subsection (2) of this section within two years after May 28, 2015, or at such time the tower is taken down for maintenance or other purposes, whichever comes first, except that the owner of a tower erected prior to May 28, 2015, which is not lighted, marked, painted, or modified as described in this subsection shall mark such tower as required by subsection (2) of this section within ninety days after May 28, 2015. The registration requirements of subsection (3) of this section shall be performed by the owner of a tower erected prior to May 28, 2015, within fifteen business days after May 28, 2015.

(5) A material failure to comply with the marking and registration requirements of this section shall be admissible as evidence of negligence on the part of an owner of a meteorological evaluation tower in an action in tort for property damage, bodily injury, or death resulting from an aerial collision with such unmarked or unregistered tower.

(6) The division may adopt and promulgate rules and regulations for carrying out the purposes of this section.