The airport, originally named Atomic Energy Field, was constructed in 1943 by the United States Atomic Energy Commission for use by personnel at the Hanford Site.[2][3] The Port of Benton acquired the airport in December 1961, opening it for public use.[4]
Facilities and aircraft
Richland Airport covers an area of 564 acres (0.88 sq mi; 2.28 km2) which contains two asphalt paved runways: 1/19 measuring 4,009 x 75 ft (1,222 x 23 m) and 8/26 measuring 3,995 x 100 ft (1,218 x 30 m).[1]
For the 12-month period ending July 31, 2007, the airport had 29,000 general aviation aircraft operations, an average of 79 per day. There are 202 aircraft based at this airport: 87% single-engine, 2% multi-engine, 1% helicopter, 4% glider and 6% ultralight.[1]
Accidents
1978: Flight 23 of Richland-based Columbia Pacific Airlines, a Beechcraft 99 bound for Seattle, over-rotated and stalled on take-off from runway 36 (now runway 1) shortly before sunset on Friday, February 10, killing both pilots and all fifteen passengers.[5][6][7]
