Katama Airpark
[''FAA Form 5010 for 1B2''. Federal Aviation Administration. 2023.] is a public airport in the
Katama section of
Edgartown,
Massachusetts
Massachusetts (Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut Massachusett_writing_systems.html" ;"title="nowiki/> məhswatʃəwiːsət.html" ;"title="Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət">Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət'' En ...
, in
Dukes County
Dukes County is a county located in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. As of the 2020 census, the population was 20,600, making it the second-least populous county in Massachusetts. Its county seat is Edgartown.
Dukes County comprises the Viney ...
on the island of
Martha's Vineyard. The airport, owned by the Town of Edgartown, has three runways, averages 22 takeoffs and landings per day, and has one aircraft based on its field.
Katama is one of three airports on the island. The main airport
Martha's Vineyard Airport (MVY) is the only airport with commercial service, and handles the majority of the island's general aviation traffic as well. The third airport is the smaller
Trade Wind Airport, a grass airfield in
Oak Bluffs
Oak Bluffs is a town located on the island of Martha's Vineyard in Dukes County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 5,341 at the 2020 United States Census. It is one of the island's principal points of arrival for summer tourists ...
.
History
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 ...
, Martha's Vineyard Airport functioned both as an outer defense and a training facility for gunnery and pilots. In addition to the main airport there was a small airfield at Katama near a gunnery practice area at the beach. Following World War II this airport was purchased by Steven Gentle, who ran the Katama Airpark until the 1980s when it was purchased with state conservation funds (as this airfield has five endangered plant or animal species).
Facilities
The airport is managed by the town of Edgartown. During the season (roughly May 31 to Labor Day), there are biplane and glider rides available, as well as flight instruction in four different aircraft.
There is a restaurant located adjacent to the airfield, currently named "Katama Kitchen."
The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute has a small data monitoring building adjacent to the hangar. It monitors wave action,
beach erosion, and offshore wave action. It is not open to the public.
Accidents
On June 22, 2005, a
Cessna Skyhawk stalled and crashed during a landing attempt, injuring the pilot and two passengers. This crash was the subject of a lengthy trial which concluded in 2012 with Cessna awarding a settlement of $1.7 million (2012 USD) to the injured party.
The plaintiffs alleged that faulty cockpit seat rails had caused the pilot to unexpectedly slide backward and loose control of the plane while attempting to abort a landing.
On August 3, 2015, a
Piper Cherokee
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, ...
was damaged when it rotated forward onto its nose during a rough landing. No passengers were harmed during this incident.
See also
*
List of airports in Massachusetts
This is a list of airports in Massachusetts (a U.S. state), grouped by type and sorted by location. It contains all public use and military airports in the state. Some private-use and former airports may be included where notable, such as airports ...
References
External links
Katama Airfield web site*
* AOP
airport information for 1B2Right Fork Diner web site
{{MA Airport
Airports in Dukes County, Massachusetts
Buildings and structures in Edgartown, Massachusetts