Fort Worth Meacham International Airport (Meacham Field) is a
general aviation
General aviation (GA) is defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) as all civil aviation aircraft operations with the exception of commercial air transport or aerial work, which is defined as specialized aviation services ...
airport located near the intersection of
Interstate 820
Interstate 820 (I-820) is a loop of I-20 in Fort Worth, Texas, of approximately around the city and some of its suburbs. Exit numbers begin at its intersection with I-20 in southwest Fort Worth, and continue in a clockwise direction around ...
and
Business U.S. Highway 287 in
Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth is the fifth-largest city in the U.S. state of Texas and the 13th-largest city in the United States. It is the county seat of Tarrant County, covering nearly into four other counties: Denton, Johnson, Parker, and Wise. Accord ...
, United States. It is named after former Fort Worth Mayor Henry C. Meacham.
[Meacham Field History]
Texas State Historical Association The airport covers 745 acres (301 ha).
History
Meacham Airport was purchased by the city of Fort Worth on July 3, 1925, named Fort Worth Municipal Airport. In 1927 the airport was renamed Meacham Field after former Fort Worth Mayor Henry C. Meacham.
[
Meacham was Fort Worth's major airport until April 1953 when major carriers moved to Amon Carter Field (later ]Greater Southwest International Airport
Greater Southwest International Airport , originally Amon Carter Field, was the commercial airport serving Fort Worth, Texas, from 1953 until 1974. Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport opened in 1974 a few miles north to replace Greater Southw ...
). The January 1953 OAG shows 50 weekday airline departures from Meacham, 33 of which headed for Dallas. None of the others flew nonstop north of Wichita Falls, west of Midland, south of Austin or east of Dallas.
Since 1953 Meacham Airport has been used for corporate aircraft, commuter flights, and student pilot training. It was renamed in 1985 to Fort Worth Meacham Airport and in 1995 to Fort Worth Meacham International Airport. Since 1953 seven airlines have tried scheduled passenger flights from Meacham; none lasted more than a couple of years.
* Tejas Airlines Tejas Airlines was a commuter airline based in San Antonio, Texas with scheduled passenger service operated to several destinations inside Texas.
History
Tejas Airlines commenced operations in 1977 with service to five destinations in Texas and ...
(1979–80) flew Fairchild Swearingen Metroliner
The Fairchild Swearingen Metroliner (previously the Swearingen Metro and later Fairchild Aerospace Metro) is a 19-seat, pressurized, twin-turboprop airliner first produced by Swearingen Aircraft and later by Fairchild Aircraft at a plant in San ...
s to Austin, Houston, Corpus Christi, San Antonio, and Laredo
* Metro Airlines
Metro Airlines, originally Houston Metro Airlines, was a commuter airline that was originally headquartered in Houston, Texas, United States,. Metro subsequently moved its headquarters to north Texas. The airline had an operational base located ...
(1979–81) flew DHC-6 Twin Otters
The de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter is a Canadian STOL (Short Takeoff and Landing) utility aircraft developed by de Havilland Canada, which produced the aircraft from 1965 to 1988; Viking Air purchased the type certificate, then restarte ...
* Fort Worth Airlines
A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...
(1984–85) flew NAMC YS-11
The NAMC YS-11 is a turboprop airliner designed and built by the Nihon Aircraft Manufacturing Corporation (NAMC), a Japanese consortium. It was the only post-war airliner to be wholly designed and manufactured in Japan until the development of t ...
s
* Exec Express Airlines (1987–88), later Lone Star Airlines
Lone Star Airlines was an American regional airline that operated both domestic and international flights. For much of the airline's life its headquarters were located in the Fort Worth Stockyards in Fort Worth, Texas. The airline's largest hub w ...
, flew Dornier 228
The Dornier 228 is a twin-turboprop STOL utility aircraft, designed and first manufactured by Dornier GmbH (later DASA Dornier, Fairchild-Dornier) from 1981 until 1998. Two hundred and forty-five were built in Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany. In 19 ...
s
* Mesa Airlines
Mesa Airlines, Inc., is an American regional airline based in Phoenix, Arizona. It is an FAA Part 121–certificated air carrier operating under air carrier certificate number MASA036A issued on June 29, 1979. It is a subsidiary of Mesa Air ...
(1997–98) flew Canadair CRJ
The Bombardier CRJ100 and CRJ200 (previously Canadair CRJ100 and CRJ200) is a regional jet designed and manufactured by Bombardier Aerospace between 1991 and 2006, the first of the Bombardier CRJ family.
The ''Canadair Regional Jet'' (CRJ) pr ...
regional jets
In April 2006 low-cost carrier Skybus Airlines
Skybus Airlines Inc. was a privately held airline based in Columbus, Ohio, United States. It operated as an ultra low-cost carrier modeled after the European airline Ryanair, and aimed to be the least expensive airline in the United States. ...
expressed interest in operating out of the airfield as it started operations in 2007, but it folded before the repeal of the Wright Amendment
The Wright Amendment of 1979 was a United States federal law that governed traffic at Dallas Love Field, an airport in Dallas, Texas, to protect Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) from competition. The amendment—enacted in reaction to ...
in 2014.
On 16 April 2008, the American Airways Hangar and Administration Building
The American Airways Hangar and Administration Building is located on the grounds of Fort Worth Meacham International Airport in Fort Worth, Texas. The hangar and office opened in 1933 and cost $150,000 to construct. The two-story building measur ...
, constructed at the airport in 1933, was added to the National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...
.
On 15 January 2015, the airport advisory board voted to permanently close runway 9/27 to make room for additional hangars. The runway had been closed for about a year due to deteriorating pavement.
In 2018, city officials and company founder David Neeleman
David G. Neeleman (born October 16, 1959) is a Brazilian-American businessman and entrepreneur. He has founded five commercial airlines: Morris Air, WestJet, JetBlue Airways, Azul Brazilian Airlines, and Breeze Airways. Along with Humberto Pedros ...
hinted that a proposed low-cost carrier, tentatively named Moxy Moxy may refer to:
* Moxy (airline), formerly proposed name for the airline Breeze Airways in the United States
* Moxy (band), a Canadian hard rock band formed in the 1970s
** ''Moxy'' (album), 1975
** '' Moxy II'', 1976
* Moxy Engineering, a No ...
, now named Breeze Airways may operate from Meacham starting in 2020. Due to COVID-19 Breeze's launch has been delayed. City aviation director at the time Bill Welstead denied holding discussions with Moxy but confirmed that Frontier Airlines and Allegiant Air
Allegiant Air (usually shortened to Allegiant) is an ultra low-cost U.S. carrier that operates scheduled and charter flights. It is a major air carrier, the fourteenth-largest commercial airline in North America.
Allegiant was founded in 1 ...
were interested in serving the airport. Although the city has recently spent millions of dollars on several projects to improve airport facilities for general aviation
General aviation (GA) is defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) as all civil aviation aircraft operations with the exception of commercial air transport or aerial work, which is defined as specialized aviation services ...
, Welstead claimed that the city was not actively planning to build adequate terminal parking for passengers, which he said would be necessary before commercial airline service could begin.
Current operations
Meacham is currently used for general aviation purposes. Several companies operate aircraft services at the airport, including a division of the U.S. defense contractor Alliant Techsystems (ATK) and Texas Aviation Services. An aviation museum (open weekends and by appointment during the week) is located in Hangar 33S on the airport's south side, at the end of Ellis Street. The terminal building houses several ATK employees, some Fort Worth city departments (mainly Aviation and Housing Development), a branch of Enterprise Rent-A-Car, and several aviation-related businesses. The Civil Air Patrol operates two squadrons at Meacham, the Fort Worth Senior Squadron, and the Phoenix Composite Squadron. There are three FBOs operating on the field: American Aero, Cornerstone Flight Center and Texas Jet.
Airlines and destinations
At one time Fort Worth Airlines
A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...
had its headquarters at the airport.
Accidents and incidents
* 9 October 1982: A Cessna 152
The Cessna 152 is an American two-seat, fixed- tricycle-gear, general aviation airplane, used primarily for flight training and personal use. It was based on the earlier Cessna 150 incorporating a number of minor design changes and a slightly ...
, registration number N89023, ran off the runway into a ditch and was destroyed after the pilot lost directional control on landing. The pilot and sole occupant suffered minor injuries.
* 6 March 1984: The right-hand engine of a Piper PA-23-250, registration number N777RG, failed on takeoff after a touch-and-go landing. Although another runway aligned with the takeoff runway was only ahead, the pilots did not attempt to reach it, and instead executed an immediate forced landing
A forced landing is a landing by an aircraft made under factors outside the pilot's control, such as the failure of engines, systems, components, or weather which makes continued flight impossible. For a full description of these, see article on ' ...
in a nearby open field. The aircraft was destroyed but the two pilots, who were the sole occupants, were not injured. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigators found the fuel selector in the OFF position for the right-hand engine, causing fuel starvation
In an internal combustion engine, fuel starvation is the failure of the fuel system to supply sufficient fuel to allow the engine to run properly, for example due to blockage, vapor lock, contamination by water, malfunction of the fuel pump or in ...
. The accident was attributed to the improper fuel selector position, poor judgment by the pilots, and failure to understand and follow proper emergency procedures.
* 25 June 1989: A Cessna 152
The Cessna 152 is an American two-seat, fixed- tricycle-gear, general aviation airplane, used primarily for flight training and personal use. It was based on the earlier Cessna 150 incorporating a number of minor design changes and a slightly ...
, registration number N24795, rolled to the left and stalled after controllers advised the pilots to go around
In aviation, a go-around is an aborted landing of an aircraft that is on final approach or has already touched down. A go-around can either be initiated by the pilot flying or requested by air traffic control for various reasons, such as an unsta ...
due to shifting winds. The ensuing crash and post-crash fire destroyed the aircraft and killed the two pilots. The accident was attributed to "The inadvertent stall of the airplane by the pilot. Factors contributing to the accident were the pilot's disregard of the weather advisory, the unfavorable windshift, and the thunderstorm outflow."
* 20 November 1996: A Piper PA-28R-200 Arrow, registration number N1394T, crashed into power lines on final approach while performing an Instrument Landing System
In aviation, the instrument landing system (ILS) is a precision radio navigation system that provides short-range guidance to aircraft to allow them to approach a runway at night or in bad weather. In its original form, it allows an aircraft to ...
approach at night in low visibility. The aircraft was destroyed and the two pilots were killed. The accident was attributed to "the pilots' continued descent of the aircraft below decision height
In aviation, an instrument approach or instrument approach procedure (IAP) is a series of predetermined maneuvers for the orderly transfer of an aircraft operating under instrument flight rules from the beginning of the initial approach to a landi ...
. Factors contributing to the accident were the fog, the dark night illumination, one of the pilot's icimpairment due to use of marihuana
Cannabis, also known as marijuana among other names, is a psychoactive drug from the cannabis plant. Native to Central or South Asia, the cannabis plant has been used as a drug for both recreational and entheogenic purposes and in various tr ...
, and both pilots' fatigue."
* 27 February 1998: A Douglas A4D-2 Skyhawk, registration number N21NB, BuNo 145011, overran Runway 34R on landing and was substantially damaged; the pilot suffered minor injuries. On approach to the airport, the pilot told controllers that he was experiencing engine surges and a "total system failure." The pilot lowered the landing gear using the emergency extension procedure, but the engine surged again, causing the aircraft to touch down at a higher speed than intended, and the pilot was unable to stop the aircraft on the runway. The accident was attributed to "A total hydraulic system failure for an undetermined reason." The aircraft, painted in Royal Australian Navy
The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) is the principal naval force of the Australian Defence Force (ADF). The professional head of the RAN is Chief of Navy (CN) Vice Admiral Mark Hammond AM, RAN. CN is also jointly responsible to the Minister of ...
colors, was later restored and placed on static display at the Air Zoo at Kalamazoo/Battle Creek International Airport
Kalamazoo/Battle Creek International Airport is a county-owned public airport in Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo County, Michigan, USA, southeast of Downtown Kalamazoo. The airport is located approximately west of the city of Battle Creek. It is incl ...
.
References
External links
* http://www.skymavs.com/
* http://www.skymavs.com/pilot-training
Fort Worth Meacham International Airport
Epic Helicopters LLC
Civil Air Patrol, Phoenix Composite Squadron
{{Authority control
Airports established in 1925
Airports in Fort Worth, Texas
Airports in Tarrant County, Texas