TGP Station 860 Heliport

The closure was not due to a specific incident like an accident or military conversion. It was almost certainly the result of evolving operational and economic factors within the pipeline industry. The primary reasons include:
1. **Technological Advancement:** A shift from expensive helicopter-based pipeline patrols to more cost-effective and efficient methods, such as high-resolution aerial imagery, ground patrols with advanced sensors, and most significantly, the widespread adoption of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs or drones) for inspection and surveillance.
2. **Economic Reasons:** General corporate cost-reduction initiatives. Maintaining a heliport, contracting helicopter services, and ensuring regulatory compliance is a significant operational expense. As alternative methods became viable, the heliport was deemed an unnecessary cost.
3. **Changes in Maintenance Philosophy:** Improved reliability of compressor station equipment and the ability to perform remote monitoring may have reduced the need for frequent, rapid-response personnel visits.

The physical infrastructure of the heliport, likely a simple concrete or asphalt pad, still exists on the grounds of the facility at coordinates 35.847801, -87.449501. However, it is no longer maintained, marked, or certified for aviation use. The surrounding site, TGP Compressor Station 860, remains an active and operational industrial facility, playing its role in the transmission of natural gas along the Tennessee Gas Pipeline system operated by Kinder Morgan.

The heliport's significance was purely industrial and logistical, not public. It was a private-use facility owned and operated by the Tennessee Gas Pipeline (TGP) company (now a subsidiary of Kinder Morgan) to support its Compressor Station 860.

When active, its operations were critical for the management and maintenance of the natural gas pipeline in this remote section of Tennessee. Operations included:
- **Personnel Transport:** Flying engineers, technicians, and other staff to and from the station for routine maintenance, repairs, and operational checks.
- **Pipeline Patrol:** Serving as a base for helicopters conducting aerial surveillance of the pipeline right-of-way to check for leaks, construction encroachment, erosion, and other potential security or safety issues.
- **Emergency Response:** Providing rapid aerial access to the site in the event of an emergency, such as a gas leak, fire, or equipment failure.

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening the TGP Station 860 Heliport. The operational and economic factors that led to its closure remain in place. The industry's move towards drone technology and other ground-based inspection methods is permanent. Re-establishing a private heliport would require a significant capital and operational investment for a capability that the company has already replaced with more modern, efficient, and cost-effective solutions. Therefore, the prospect of it reopening for aviation use is virtually zero.