Walker County Airport
Encyclopedia
Walker County Airport , also known as Bevill Field, is a public airport
located five miles (8 km) northwest of the central business district
of Jasper
, a city in Walker County
, Alabama
, United States
. It is owned by the Walker County Commission.
Although most U.S. airports use the same three-letter location identifier
for the FAA
and IATA
, Walker County Airport is assigned JFX by the FAA but has no designation from the IATA.
(9/27) with a 5,003 x 100 ft (1,525 x 30 m) asphalt
pavement. For the 12-month period ending April 5, 2000, the airport had 33,616 aircraft operations, an average of 92 per day:
99.7% general aviation
and 0.3% military. At that time there were 55 aircraft based at this airport: 87% single-engine, 9% multi-engine and 4% jet.
basketball team to Oxford, Mississippi
from Birmingham, Alabama
. Two of the 39 occupants of the Convair CV 440 airplane were seriously injured during the accident, 11 others received minor injuries. As the airport did not have on-field emergency services, the nearby Jasper Fire Department was called by the airport manager moments before the emergency landing after being alerted by the Birmingham Approach air traffic controller. During the landing the aircraft veered off Runway 27 and crossed the north-south taxiway, at which time the right landing gear separated and the airplane skidded to a stop. The aircraft was subsequently destroyed by fire. The NTSB
concluded the accident resulted from the failure of the Number 6 cylinder in the right engine which caused a complete loss of power with a subsequent windmilling propeller and engine fire.
Airport
An airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...
located five miles (8 km) northwest of the central business district
Central business district
A central business district is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city. In North America this part of a city is commonly referred to as "downtown" or "city center"...
of Jasper
Jasper, Alabama
Jasper is a city in Walker County, Alabama, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 14,659. As of 2011 the population had was 13,857. The city is the county seat of Walker County, and once ranked among the world's leading producers of coal....
, a city in Walker County
Walker County, Alabama
Walker County is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama.Its name is in honor of John Williams Walker, a member of the United States Senate. As of 2010 the population was 67,023...
, Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is owned by the Walker County Commission.
Although most U.S. airports use the same three-letter location identifier
Location identifier
A location identifier is a symbolic representation for the name and the location of an airport, navigation aid, or weather station, and is used for manned air traffic control facilities in air traffic control, telecommunications, computer programming, weather reports, and related services.-ICAO...
for the FAA
Federal Aviation Administration
The Federal Aviation Administration is the national aviation authority of the United States. An agency of the United States Department of Transportation, it has authority to regulate and oversee all aspects of civil aviation in the U.S...
and IATA
International Air Transport Association
The International Air Transport Association is an international industry trade group of airlines headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, where the International Civil Aviation Organization is also headquartered. The executive offices are at the Geneva Airport in SwitzerlandIATA's mission is to...
, Walker County Airport is assigned JFX by the FAA but has no designation from the IATA.
Facilities and aircraft
Walker County Airport covers an area of 297 acres (120.2 ha) which contains one runwayRunway
According to ICAO a runway is a "defined rectangular area on a land aerodrome prepared for the landing and take-off of aircraft." Runways may be a man-made surface or a natural surface .- Orientation and dimensions :Runways are named by a number between 01 and 36, which is generally one tenth...
(9/27) with a 5,003 x 100 ft (1,525 x 30 m) asphalt
Asphalt
Asphalt or , also known as bitumen, is a sticky, black and highly viscous liquid or semi-solid that is present in most crude petroleums and in some natural deposits, it is a substance classed as a pitch...
pavement. For the 12-month period ending April 5, 2000, the airport had 33,616 aircraft operations, an average of 92 per day:
99.7% general aviation
General aviation
General aviation is one of the two categories of civil aviation. It refers to all flights other than military and scheduled airline and regular cargo flights, both private and commercial. General aviation flights range from gliders and powered parachutes to large, non-scheduled cargo jet flights...
and 0.3% military. At that time there were 55 aircraft based at this airport: 87% single-engine, 9% multi-engine and 4% jet.
Air Resorts Airline Flight 953 accident
On December 16, 1984, Air Resorts Airlines Flight 953 experienced an in-flight engine failure, fire, and ground collision during the landing roll following an emergency landing at the airport. The flight was carrying the East Tennessee State UniversityEast Tennessee State University
East Tennessee State University is an accredited American university located in Johnson City, Tennessee. It is part of the Tennessee Board of Regents system of colleges and universities, the nation's sixth largest system of public education, and is the fourth largest university in the state...
basketball team to Oxford, Mississippi
Oxford, Mississippi
Oxford is a city in, and the county seat of, Lafayette County, Mississippi, United States. Founded in 1835, it was named after the British university city of Oxford in hopes of having the state university located there, which it did successfully attract....
from Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham is the largest city in Alabama. The city is the county seat of Jefferson County. According to the 2010 United States Census, Birmingham had a population of 212,237. The Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area, in estimate by the U.S...
. Two of the 39 occupants of the Convair CV 440 airplane were seriously injured during the accident, 11 others received minor injuries. As the airport did not have on-field emergency services, the nearby Jasper Fire Department was called by the airport manager moments before the emergency landing after being alerted by the Birmingham Approach air traffic controller. During the landing the aircraft veered off Runway 27 and crossed the north-south taxiway, at which time the right landing gear separated and the airplane skidded to a stop. The aircraft was subsequently destroyed by fire. The NTSB
National Transportation Safety Board
The National Transportation Safety Board is an independent U.S. government investigative agency responsible for civil transportation accident investigation. In this role, the NTSB investigates and reports on aviation accidents and incidents, certain types of highway crashes, ship and marine...
concluded the accident resulted from the failure of the Number 6 cylinder in the right engine which caused a complete loss of power with a subsequent windmilling propeller and engine fire.