Buchanan Field Airport
| Buchanan Field Airport | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| IATA: CCR - ICAO: KCCR | |||
| Summary | |||
| Airport type | Public | ||
| Operator | Contra Costa County | ||
| Serves | Concord, California | ||
| Elevation AMSL | 26 ft (7.9 m) | ||
| Coordinates | |||
| Runways | |||
| Direction | Length | Surface | |
| ft | m | ||
| 1L/19R | 5,001 | 1,524 | Asphalt/Concrete |
| 1R/19L | 2,770 | 844 | Asphalt |
| 14L/32R | 4,602 | 1,403 | Asphalt/Concrete |
| 14R/32L | 2,799 | 853 | Asphalt |
Buchanan Field Airport (IATA: CCR, ICAO: KCCR) is located in Concord, California, USA, 27 nautical miles (50 km) northeast of San Francisco International Airport, in Contra Costa County at the outside edge of San Francisco's terminal airspace. The airport has a control tower and a high volume of general aviation traffic, with over 500 aircraft based on the field (mostly single-engine).
History
Founded during World War II, the field became a
In 1942 Contra Costa County, California purchased land to build an airport in Central County for $88,000. The airport was being developed by the County when World War II broke-out and the United States Army expropriates the site. The Army adds land and builds the airport facilities. They also build a training base for pilots and the airport is called The Concord Army Air Base during the war. [1]
After World War II was over, in 1946 the War Assets Administration (WAA) returned the airport to the County for public use. The airport was renamed after County Supervisor William J. Buchanan, who served was a board member for more than forty years. The airport continued to be used on occasion by the U.S. Army to transport troops, especially during the Korean War.[1]
Although the airport did not have commercial passenger service, in 1977 Buchanan Field Airport reached its peak level of activity with 357,000 operations. Buchanan Field was ranked the 16th busiest airport in the nation, ahead of San Francisco International Airport, John F. Kennedy International Airport, and LaGuardia Airport. Passenger service began in 1986, but ended in 1992. During this time noise became a concern and in 1988 the county Board of Supervisors instituted a county noise restriction ordinance restricting certain aircraft from operating at Buchanan Field.[1]
Beginning in the 1990s, the Board of Supervisors updated the Buchanan Field Airport Master Plan. Commercial development of adjacent property (such as Sam’s Club, Taco Bell, Sports Authority and Jiffy Lube) was allowed in 1992.[1] The future direction of this airport is always in question because of its location on prime property in the middle of the city of Concord with no room to grow, and noise concerns. The County has developed a new airport in Byron in the eastern part of the county. [1]
Accidents
On the evening of December 23, 1985, a Beechcraft Baron N1494G, executing a missed instrument approach procedure from an approach to runway 19R, lost control and crashed into the roof of the Macy's Department Store at nearby Sunvalley Mall, killing the pilot and two passengers and seriously injuring 84 Christmas shoppers in the crowded mall below, mainly by spraying them with burning fuel. Four of the victims on the ground later died from their injuries. The accident brought increased local opposition to the airport, and caused Pacific Southwest Airlines to delay scheduled passenger service that had been planned to start in January 1986.
Another plane crashed on April 13, 2004, shortly after leaving Buchanan Field. The plane landed on a minivan and nearly severed the left leg of a 12-year-old girl. (Her leg was successfully reattached and she has made a near full recovery) Officials determined the crash was the fault of a mechanic who had worked on the plane.
On 21 December 2006, at approximately 1900 Zulu, a Piper Malibu (PA46) crashed while flying the LDA (Localizer Directional Aid) approach into CCR. The aircraft was flying too low to terrain and impacted obstructions on the ground. Four passengers were killed.
Airlines and destinations
Buchanan Field does not currently have scheduled commercial air service.
Pacific Southwest Airlines (PSA) offered service from Buchanan Field to Los Angeles International Airport, beginning May 1, 1986. PSA offered between four and five daily roundtrips on the route, using its 100-seat BAe 146 aircraft. USAir continued the service after purchasing PSA in 1987. In 1991, however, USAir announced that it was parking its BAe 146 fleet and dismantling most of the west coast network that it had acquired from PSA, including its Concord station. Buchanan Field has yet to be served by another airline following USAir's departure.
See also
References
- ^ a b c d e The History of Contra Costa County Airports, Contra Costa County Airports. Retrieved 2007-08-14.
- Airport Master Record (FAA Form 5010), also available as a pdf: printable form
- Buchanan Field Airport (official web site)
External links
- Resources for this airport:
- AirNav airport information for KCCR
- ASN accident history for CCR
- FlightAware airport information and live flight tracker
- NOAA/NWS latest weather observations
- SkyVector aeronautical chart for KCCR
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
