Naval Air Station Patuxent River has released its updated 2026 Air Installations Compatible Use Zones study, giving local governments, property owners and residents new guidance on aircraft noise, accident-potential areas and future land-use compatibility around the installation.
The Navy released the update Aug. 13 after final approval July 31. The study replaces the previous NAS Patuxent River AICUZ study from 2009 and incorporates newer operational and noise information reflecting changes in aircraft, flight activity and mission requirements at Patuxent River and Webster Outlying Field.
One of the most notable changes is the addition of a new Accident Potential Zone over part of Drum Point in Calvert County. According to the Navy, flight operations data showed a significant number of departures using Runway 32 with right turns, along with closed-pattern operations using a right traffic pattern. Those flight tracks cross the southern portion of Drum Point, leading to the new curved accident-potential zones shown in the 2026 study.
The Navy stresses that an Accident Potential Zone does not mean an accident is expected to occur. The designation identifies areas where an aircraft accident would be more likely to occur if one happened and is intended primarily as a land-use planning tool for future development or changes in land use.
The study does not itself change zoning or restrict existing property uses. AICUZ is an advisory planning document, and local governments retain authority over zoning and development regulations. The Navy recommends that jurisdictions use the information when considering future growth, particularly development that could place large numbers of people in areas with higher aircraft noise exposure or accident potential.
The 2026 update also includes revised noise contours showing modeled cumulative aircraft noise around NAS Patuxent River. The maps display Day-Night Average Sound Level contours of 60, 65, 70, 75 and 80 decibels. DNL is a federal metric that represents average sound energy from aircraft operations over a 24-hour period and is used for long-term land-use compatibility planning.
The updated contours are based on noise information developed during a 2019 study of the Patuxent River Complex. That work later became part of the 2022 Final Environmental Impact Statement for testing and training activities at the complex. The Navy said the 2026 AICUZ uses the noise contours associated with Alternative 2 from that environmental review.
The update was required because operations at the installation have changed since earlier studies, according to NAS Patuxent River. The Navy cited changes in aircraft mix, flight operations and mission requirements, including the introduction of new aircraft and unmanned aircraft systems that have altered noise patterns and operational intensity.
NAS Patuxent River and Webster Outlying Field support research, development, test and evaluation, training and operational-readiness missions for the Navy and joint partners. Those missions require aviation activity that can create noise and safety considerations extending outside installation property.
The AICUZ program is intended to balance those military requirements with surrounding community development. The Department of Defense established the program in 1973 to promote land-use compatibility near military airfields while protecting public health, safety and welfare and maintaining the ability of installations to perform their missions.
For St. Mary’s County, AICUZ planning is already incorporated into local land-use policy. County planning documents describe AICUZ overlays used to address development around NAS Patuxent River, including Accident Potential Zones and zoning intended to limit incompatible concentrations of people near military flight operations.
The relationship between the air station and surrounding development has been a long-running planning issue. Previous Patuxent River Complex studies include the 1979 AICUZ study covering NAS Patuxent River and Webster Outlying Field, a 2006 Webster study, the 2009 NAS Patuxent River study and a 2017 Webster Outlying Field addendum.
The Navy said the new study was completed with assistance from Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command Atlantic. The NAS Patuxent River commanding officer is responsible for preparation of the AICUZ study.
Residents whose property appears within a noise contour or Accident Potential Zone can review the study and maps to understand how the designation may affect future planning decisions. Because AICUZ itself is not a zoning regulation, questions about a particular property’s development rights or existing zoning ultimately fall under the applicable local jurisdiction.
NAS Patuxent River also maintains a noise disturbance response system for community concerns related to aircraft noise. The installation lists a toll-free noise hotline at 1-866-819-9028 and an email address, paxnoise@us.navy.mil, for written inquiries.
The full 2026 NAS Patuxent River AICUZ study, the NAS Patuxent River footprint map and the Webster Outlying Field footprint map are available through the installation’s AICUZ webpage at https://ndw.cnic.navy.mil/Installations/NAS-Patuxent-River/AICUZ
