Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport , formerly known as Montgomery Field and Gibbs Field, is a public airport in

San Diego San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the eighth most populous city in the United State ...

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

, United States, six miles (10 km) north of downtown San Diego. The airport covers and has three

runway According to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), a runway is a "defined rectangular area on a land aerodrome prepared for the landing and takeoff of aircraft". Runways may be a man-made surface (often asphalt, concre ...

s, one public and two private helipads. The runways are 28 Right/10 Left-28 Left/10 Right parallels and 05/23.

History

First known as Gibbs Field, the airport opened in July 1940 as an all-way clay and gravel surface airfield. It was founded by William Gibbs (1910–2016). In 1950, the airport was renamed Montgomery Field in honor of

John Joseph Montgomery John Joseph Montgomery (February 15, 1858 – October 31, 1911) was an American inventor, physicist, engineer, and professor at Santa Clara University in Santa Clara, California, who is best known for his invention of controlled heavier-than-a ...

, an aviation pioneer who in 1884–1886 made the first manned, controlled, heavier-than-air flights in the United States from

Otay Mesa Otay Mesa ( ) is a community in the southern section of the city of San Diego, just north of the U.S.–Mexico border. It is bordered by the Otay River Valley and the city of Chula Vista on the north; Interstate 805 and the neighborhoods of Oc ...

south of San Diego starting with a glider designed in 1883. Montgomery-Gibbs assumed its current name in 2016 to recognize both of the airport's previous namesakes.

World War II

During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, control of the airport was assumed by the

United States Army Air Forces The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...

, which built three hard runways. It was called "Gibbs Auxiliary Field" and used as a support airfield for the contractor pilot school at Ryan Field, near

Hemet Hemet is a city in the San Jacinto Valley in Riverside County, California. It covers a total area of , about half of the valley, which it shares with the neighboring city of San Jacinto. The population was 89,833 at the 2020 census. The foundi ...

. It also supported training activities at the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land warfare, land military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight Uniformed services of the United States, U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army o ...

Desert Training Center The Desert Training Center (DTC), also known as California–Arizona Maneuver Area (CAMA), was a World War II training facility established in the Mojave Desert and Sonoran Desert, largely in Southern California and Western Arizona in 1942. It ...

(DTC) in the

Mojave Desert The Mojave Desert ( ; mov, Hayikwiir Mat'aar; es, Desierto de Mojave) is a desert in the rain shadow of the Sierra Nevada mountains in the Southwestern United States. It is named for the indigenous Mojave people. It is located primarily ...

, and later as an auxiliary airfield for

Lindbergh Field San Diego International Airport , formerly known as Lindbergh Field, is an international airport northwest of Downtown San Diego, California, United States. It is owned and operated by the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority.. US Federa ...

in San Diego. It was used presumably as an overflow airfield to store newly manufactured B-24 Liberator bombers and

PBY Catalina The Consolidated PBY Catalina is a flying boat and amphibious aircraft that was produced in the 1930s and 1940s. In Canadian service it was known as the Canso. It was one of the most widely used seaplanes of World War II. Catalinas served w ...

amphibian aircraft made by

Consolidated Aircraft The Consolidated Aircraft Corporation was founded in 1923 by Reuben H. Fleet in Buffalo, New York, the result of the Gallaudet Aircraft Company's liquidation and Fleet's purchase of designs from the Dayton-Wright Company as the subsidiary was ...

. Following the war, the airport returned to civil control.

Modern usage

Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport is one of the busiest airports in the U.S. for small aircraft and has a number of

flying club A flying club or aero club is a not-for-profit, member-run organization that provides its members with affordable access to aircraft. Many clubs also provide flight training, flight planning facilities, pilot supplies and associated services, as ...

flight school Flight training is a course of study used when learning to pilot an aircraft. The overall purpose of primary and intermediate flight training is the acquisition and honing of basic airmanship skills. Flight training can be conducted under a str ...

s, plus business turboprops and jets based there. The San Diego Fire Department bases aircraft there. King Schools, Inc. is based nearby and its aircraft are based at the airport. Since summer 2009, King Schools (in conjunction with Cessna) has been flight-testing the prototype

Cessna 162 Skycatcher The Cessna 162 Skycatcher is an American side-by-side two-seat, high-wing, strut-braced, tricycle gear light-sport aircraft (LSA) that was designed and produced by Cessna between December 2009 and December 2013. Its intended market was flight ...

Light-Sport Aircraft at or around the airport. The

Federal Aviation Administration The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is the largest transportation agency of the U.S. government and regulates all aspects of civil aviation in the country as well as over surrounding international waters. Its powers include air traffic ...

(FAA) has maintained an air traffic control tower at the airport since 1965. It is on the north side of the airport, just east of Taxiway C and Runway 23/5, and the normal hours are 0600-2100 local time. In April 2021 the airport completed a $10 million upgrade that included six new hangars; a fueling facility for private jets and propeller planes; and a new two-story, 9,000 square-foot building containing a flight school and an executive lounge for business travelers.

Accidents and incidents

* On September 25, 1978, a

Cessna 172 The Cessna 172 Skyhawk is an American four-seat, single-engine, high wing, fixed-wing aircraft made by the Cessna Aircraft Company.Lindbergh Field San Diego International Airport , formerly known as Lindbergh Field, is an international airport northwest of Downtown San Diego, California, United States. It is owned and operated by the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority.. US Federa ...

to do a practice instrument landing (ILS) approach.

PSA Flight 182 Pacific Southwest Airlines (PSA) Flight 182 was a scheduled flight of Pacific Southwest Airlines from Sacramento to Los Angeles and San Diego. On September 25, 1978, the Boeing 727-214 serving the flight, registration N533PS, collided with a p ...

(N533PS) was heading east on its downwind descent before landing at Lindbergh. The PSA

Boeing 727 The Boeing 727 is an American narrow-body airliner that was developed and produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. After the heavy 707 quad-jet was introduced in 1958, Boeing addressed the demand for shorter flight lengths from smaller airpo ...

hit the Cessna from behind, causing N7711G to disintegrate and flight 182 to crash. * On , a Piper 601P registered as N90353 crashed shortly after takeoff, killing all five aboard. * On , a Beech 56TC registered as N911SC collided with power lines while landing. The aircraft caught on fire and crashed, killing all four aboard. * On , 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 ...

registered as N783G stalled on final approach and abruptly crashed. The student pilot, flying solo, was killed. * On , a

Piper PA-28 The Piper PA-28 Cherokee is a family of two-seat or four-seat light aircraft built by Piper Aircraft and designed for flight training, air taxi and personal use.Plane and Pilot: ''1978 Aircraft Directory'', pages 62–64. Werner & Werner Corp, ...

registered as N943R collided with a

Cessna 150 The Cessna 150 is a two-seat tricycle gear general aviation airplane that was designed for flight training, touring and personal use.Plane and Pilot: ''1978 Aircraft Directory'', pages 22-23. Werner & Werner Corp, Santa Monica CA, 1977. In 19 ...

(N63137) while the two aircraft were making their final approaches to parallel runways. The aircraft failed to maintain visual separation and the low-wing Piper overtook the high-wing Cessna from behind and above. The Piper's control cables were severed by the Cessna's propeller and it crashed, killing both the student pilot and flight instructor. The Cessna made a forced landing, and both occupants survived. * On February 19, 2010 a Cirrus SR-22 Turbo Gen-3, registered as N443CP, was stolen from Montgomery Field and proceeded to Los Angeles International Airport. * On August 2, 2010, an experimental Velocity Super XL registered as N444YP crashed into a golf course shortly after takeoff at the airport, killing two of the five aboard. * On March 2, 2014, a Mooney M20S Eagle registered as N56FM sustained minor damage after a gear-up landing. The sole occupant, the pilot, was uninjured in the incident. * On July 30, 2014, a Mooney M20L registered as N147MP crashed in an adjacent shopping center parking lot after a failed

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 unst ...

at the airport. Of the two occupants on board, the passenger was killed and the pilot was seriously injured. * On December 9, 2017, a Beechcraft Bonanza with four people on board crashed shortly after taking off from Montgomery-Gibbs. The pilot and a passenger survived with burn injuries while the two other passengers were killed. * On September 24, 2020 a

Great Lakes Sport Trainer The Great Lakes Sport Trainer is an American biplane trainer and aerobatic aircraft. It was originally produced in large numbers before the company building it went bankrupt in the Great Depression in 1933. Owing to its continuing popularity, ho ...

with two people on board crashed shortly after taking off from Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport and landed in the rear parking lot of a nearby business. The pilot and a passenger were taken to a local hospital in an unknown condition. *On February 13, 2021 a Dassault Falcon 900EX (N823RC), with 5 people on board overran Runway 28R after a rejected takeoff. The aircraft came to rest off the opposite end of Runway 28R, all 5 people on board escaped unharmed. * On October 11, 2021, a twin-engine

Cessna 340 The Cessna 340 is a twin piston engine pressurized business aircraft that was manufactured by Cessna.Montgomery, MR & Gerald Foster: ''A Field Guide to Airplanes, Second Edition'', page 106. Houghton Mifflin Company, 1992. The Cessna 33 ...

crashed while approaching Montgomery-Gibbs. The crash occurred near the campus of

Santana High School Santana High School, located in Santee, California, is part of the Grossmont Union High School District. History 2001 Shooting On March 5, 2001, at Santana High School, 15-year-old Charles Andrew Williams shot and killed two students and injure ...

in Santee. The aircraft struck three houses, killing at least two people. * On November 5, 2022, a single engine Cirrus SR-20 Reg: N700YZ crashed during a landing attempt after a single loop around the airport. The pilot was rushed to the nearby Sharp hospital in critical condition, where he passed away from his injuries later that day.

References

www.airfieldsdatabase.com
* * Harwood, Craig S. and Fogel, Gary B. ''Quest for Flight: John J. Montgomery and the Dawn of Aviation in the West,'' University of Oklahoma Press 2012.

External links