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Griffin–Spalding County Airport

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Coordinates: 33°13′35″N 84°16′32″W / 33.22639°N 84.27556°W / 33.22639; -84.27556
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Griffin–Spalding County Airport
Summary
Airport typePublic
OwnerGriffin Spalding Airport Authority
ServesGriffin, Georgia, US
Elevation AMSL958 ft / 292 m
Coordinates33°13′35″N 84°16′32″W / 33.22639°N 84.27556°W / 33.22639; -84.27556
WebsiteOfficial website
Map
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
14/32 3,701 1,128 Asphalt
Statistics (2011)
Based aircraft90
Sources: FAA[1]

Griffin–Spalding County Airport (FAA LID: 6A2) is a city-owned, public-use airport located one nautical mile (2 km) south of the central business district of Griffin, a city in Spalding County, Georgia, United States.[1] It is included in the National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2011–2015, which categorized it as a general aviation facility.[2]

History

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Griffin–Spalding County Airport was built in 1939.[3] Despite the relatively short length of its then 3,100-foot-long (940 m) runway, Griffin's airport hosted various large piston aircraft including the Douglas DC-3 and the Aviation Traders Carvair, a cargo conversion of the DC-4 from the 1970s until the 1990s.[4] For the 12-month period ending on July 3, 2011, there were 90 aircraft based at this airport.[2]

The Aviation Traders Carvair N83FA that crashed on April 4, 1997

On April 4, 1997, at 12:16 am, a Custom Air Service flight going to Rockford, Illinois, via Albany, Georgia, using an Aviation Traders Carvair crashed into a disused Piggly Wiggly grocery store 1,360 feet (410 m) beyond the departure end of Runway 32 following an engine failure during the takeoff roll. The aircraft was completely destroyed in the resulting fire and the crew, the only occupants of the aircraft, were both killed.[5] On November 21, 2003, at 12:45 pm, a Beechcraft Baron crashed due to the loss of engine power during a maintenance flight approximately one-quarter mile (0.40 km) beyond the departure end of Runway 32. The sole occupant of the aircraft, the pilot, was killed on impact with a commercial building. No other casualties were caused by the accident.[6] Another incident at the airport occurred on November 11, 2009 when a pilot attempted to flee from authorities in his DC-3 after being cited for driving his automobile on the runway. The pilot was unable to take off and was suspended from employment with Delta Air Lines following his arrest. The incident shut down the airport for 45 minutes.[7]

A proposal was made by the airport authority prior to 2014 to close the airport and pay back the FAA, but the FAA rejected the proposal that year citing the closure of the airport would contradict their mission to promote aviation and improve aviation infrastructure.[8] A sum of $55.4 million in federal and state funding has been secured to relocate the airport within Spalding County. In 2024 the city manager of Griffin announced the new airport could open by 2029.[9][10]

Facilities

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Griffin–Spalding County Airport covers an area of 198 acres (80 ha) at an elevation of 958 feet (292 m) above mean sea level. It is an uncontrolled airport that lies beneath, but not within the Class B airspace surrounding Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport. It has one runway designated 14/32 with an asphalt surface measuring 3,701 by 75 feet (1,128 x 23 m).[1] In addition to general aviation facilities, the airport also hosts an air ambulance, an aviation division of the Georgia State Patrol and Civil Air Patrol, and aircraft manufacturing and salvage facilities.[11][12]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c FAA Airport Form 5010 for 6A2 – GRIFFIN–SPALDING CO PDF. Federal Aviation Administration. Effective October 3, 2024.
  2. ^ a b "2011–2015 NPIAS Report, Appendix A" (PDF). National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems. Federal Aviation Administration. October 4, 2010. Archived from the original (PDF, 2.03 MB) on September 27, 2012.
  3. ^ "FY12 GSAA". City of Griffin. Retrieved October 18, 2024.
  4. ^ Lunken, Martha (November 10, 2021). "Unusual Attitudes: DC-3s and DC-4s — but No Alligators". Flying. Retrieved October 18, 2024.
  5. ^ "Accident No. ATL97FA057 NTSB Aviation Final Accident Report" (PDF). National Transportation Safety Board. April 15, 1999. Retrieved October 18, 2024 – via Aviation Safety Network.
  6. ^ "Accident No. ATL04FA038 NTSB Aviation Final Accident Report" (PDF). National Transportation Safety Board. September 13, 2005. Retrieved October 18, 2024 – via Aviation Safety Network.
  7. ^ Matteucci, Megan (November 13, 2009). "Delta suspends jailed pilot". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved November 24, 2024.
  8. ^ Mathews, Sheila (May 2014). "FAA: Closing existing Griffin-Spalding County Airport not an option". The Grip. Retrieved October 18, 2024.
  9. ^ Stanford, Larry (April 20, 2024). "State officials urging local leaders to get started on making regional airport a reality". The Griffin Daily News. Retrieved October 18, 2024.
  10. ^ Stanford, Larry (April 30, 2024). "New Griffin-Spalding County Regional Airport could open as early as 2029, city manager says". The Griffin Daily News. Retrieved October 18, 2024.
  11. ^ "Griffin-Spalding Airport 6A2". City of Griffin. Retrieved October 18, 2024.
  12. ^ "Economic Impact Report for Griffin–Spalding County Airport" (PDF). Georgia Department of Transportation. September 2020. Retrieved October 18, 2024.
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