Folsom Field (Alabama)

Cullman Regional Airport-Folsom Field
NAIP aerial image, August 2006
IATA: none ICAO: KCMD FAA LID: CMD
Summary
Airport type	Public
Owner	City/County of Cullman
Serves	Cullman, Alabama
Location	Vinemont, Alabama
Elevation  AMSL	969 ft / 295 m
Coordinates	34°16′07″N086°51′29″W / 34.26861°N 86.85806°W / 34.26861; -86.85806
Website	https://www.cullmanregionalairport.org/
Map
KCMD Location of airport in Alabama Show map of Alabama KCMD KCMD (the United States) Show map of the United States
Runways
Direction Length Surface ft m 2/20 5,500 1,676 Asphalt
Statistics (2017)
Aircraft operations (2016) 37,830 Based aircraft 81
Source: Federal Aviation Administration [1]

Cullman Regional Airport-Folsom Field( ICAO : KCMD, FAA LID : CMD, formerly 3A1) is a public-use airport located five nautical miles (6 mi, 9 km) north of the central business district of Cullman, a city in Cullman County, Alabama, United States. It is owned by the City and County of Cullman. ^[1]

This airport is included in the Federal Aviation Administration's National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2011–2015 ^[2] and 2009–2013, ^[3] both of which are categorized as a general aviation airport.

Facilities and aircraft

Folsom Field covers an area of 90 acres (36 ha) at an elevation of 969 feet (295 m) above mean sea level. It has one runway designated 2/20 with an asphalt surface measuring 5,500 by 100 feet (1,676 x 30 m). ^[1]

For the 12-month period ending July 28, 2010, the airport had 37,830 aircraft operations, an average of 103 per day: 99.7% general aviation and 0.3% military. At that time there were 57 aircraft based at this airport: 86% single-engine, 5% multi-engine and 9% helicopter. ^[1]

Skydive Alabama

Skydive Alabama (SA), a civilian skydiving center, is operated out of Folsom Field. SA is a United States Parachute Association (USPA)-affiliated drop zone that operates year-round, maintaining a Beech 99. Most skydives take place from an altitude of around 14,000 feet, but high altitude jumps from 18,000 feet are commonly made with the use of supplemental oxygen. ^[4]

Accidents and incidents

• On 23 November 1982, popular Southern Baptist religious humorist, television personality and author Grady Nutt and two pilots with air charter operator Central American Inter'l Inc. were killed in the near-vertical crash of a Beechcraft Baron 95-B55, registration number N18411, shortly after takeoff under nighttime instrument meteorological conditions (IMC). The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) was unable to conclusively determine the cause of the crash, but bad weather and poor visibility were thought to be contributing factors. ^{[5] [6]}
• On 5 March 1984, the pilot and five passengers in a Cessna 421B, registration number N3291Q, were killed when the aircraft impacted trees 1 mile (1.6 km) northeast of the airport during an incorrectly executed nighttime instrument approach in IMC conditions. The NTSB attributed the accident to the pilot's failure to initiate a missed approach, his failure to maintain altitude, his lack of recent instrument flying experience, and his history of heart problems; contributing factors were poor visibility and adverse weather. ^[7]
• On 14 January 1999, a Beechcraft 300, registration number N780BF, was destroyed in a crash approximately 3.5 miles (5.6 km) north of the airport after making a series of erratic turns during a missed approach in IMC conditions, killing the pilot and single passenger. The NTSB attributed the accident to the pilot's failure to correctly execute the missed approach procedure; a contributing factor was the lack of fixed-wing flight experience by the pilot, whose previous flying had almost exclusively been conducted in military rotorcraft. ^[8]
• On 5 January 2020, an amateur-built Van's Aircraft RV-6, registration number N420PW, crashed on the field in a left spin during an apparent attempt to return to the airport after an engine failure on takeoff. Two people, the pilot and passenger on board, were killed. The accident is under investigation by the NTSB. ^[9]
• On 20 February 2021, a Piper PA-32 crashed near the airport, killing one occupant and severely injuring the other. ^[10] Four days later, the second aircraft occupant died from injuries sustained in the crash. NTSB investigators confirmed that one of the occupants reported the aircraft had lost power before the accident. ^[11]

See also

• List of airports in Alabama

References

1. FAA Airport Form 5010 for 3A1 PDF . Federal Aviation Administration. Effective August 25, 2011.
2. "2011–2015 NPIAS Report, Appendix A (PDF, 2.03 MB)" (PDF). 2011–2015 National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems. Federal Aviation Administration. October 4, 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-09-27.
3. "2009–2013 NPIAS Report, Appendix A: Part 1 (PDF, 1.33 MB)" (PDF). National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems. Federal Aviation Administration. October 15, 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-08-06.
4. "Skydive Alabama". Dropzone.com.
5. "Grady Nutt, TV Humorist Dies With Two Others in Plane Crash" . The New York Times . New York City. Reuters. 25 November 1982.
6. "NTSB Aviation Accident Final Report ATL83FA046". National Transportation Safety Board . Retrieved 14 February 2021.
7. "NTSB Aviation Accident Final Report ATL84MA114". National Transportation Safety Board . Retrieved 14 February 2021.
8. "NTSB Aviation Accident Final Report ATL99FA044". National Transportation Safety Board . Retrieved 14 February 2021.
9. "NTSB Aviation Accident Preliminary Report ATL84MA114". National Transportation Safety Board . Retrieved 25 February 2021.
10. Silverman, Hollie (20 February 2021). "One dead, one badly hurt in small plane crash north of Birmingham". CNN . Retrieved 25 February 2021.
11. "UPDATE: 2nd person dies after Saturday's plane crash in Cullman Co". WBRC . Birmingham, Alabama. 23 February 2021. Retrieved 25 February 2021.

External links

• Cullman Airport - Folsom Field at Cullman County website
• Skydive Alabama
• Aerial image as of March 1997 from USGS The National Map
• Airfield photos from U.S. Civil Air Patrol at the Wayback Machine (archived September 23, 2006)
• FAA Terminal Procedures for CMD , effective November 30, 2023
• Resources for this airport:
  • FAA airport information for CMD
  • AirNav airport information for CMD
  • FlightAware airport information and live flight tracker
  • SkyVector aeronautical chart for CMD