Cranbrook Airport
Encyclopedia
Cranbrook/Canadian Rockies International Airport is an international airport located 5 NM north of Cranbrook
, British Columbia
and 20 kilometres (12.4 mi) south-east of Kimberley
in the Canadian Rockies
.
It is owned by the City of Cranbrook and operated by YVRAS (Vancouver Airport Services). Runway 16/34 is an 8000 by asphalt
runway
with a category 1 instrument landing system
capable of guiding aircraft down to 200 ft (61 m) in 1/2 mi of visibility. The terminal
building covers 23000 sq ft (2,136.8 m²). In 2008, YXC served over 106,277 passengers and in 2010 had 15,060 aircraft movements. The airport is operated 24 hours a day by the Cranbrook Flight Service Station.
The airport is classified as an airport of entry
by NAV CANADA
and is staffed by the Canada Border Services Agency
. CBSA officers at this airport currently can handle general aviation
aircraft only, with no more than 15 passengers. With prior notice, CBSA officers are able to handle commercial aircraft with up to 50 passengers, cost recovery is in effect for handling commercial aircraft.
, a Pacific Western Airlines
737-200 on a scheduled flight from Edmonton
, via Calgary
and Cranbrook, to Castlegar Airport
crashed at Cranbrook Airport. The aircraft crashed after thrust reversers did not fully stow following a rejected landing that was executed in order to avoid a snowplow
. The crash killed 42 of the 48 people on board.
Cranbrook, British Columbia
Cranbrook, British Columbia is a city in southeast British Columbia, located on the west side of the Kootenay River at its confluence with the St. Mary's River, It is the largest urban centre in the region known as the East Kootenay. As of 2006, Cranbrook's population is 18,267, and the...
, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
and 20 kilometres (12.4 mi) south-east of Kimberley
Kimberley, British Columbia
Kimberley is a small city in southeast British Columbia, Canada along Highway 95A between the Purcell and Rocky Mountains. Kimberley was named in 1896 after the Kimberley mine in South Africa. From 1917 to 2001, it was the home to the world's largest lead-zinc mine, the Sullivan Mine...
in the Canadian Rockies
Canadian Rockies
The Canadian Rockies comprise the Canadian segment of the North American Rocky Mountains range. They are the eastern part of the Canadian Cordillera, extending from the Interior Plains of Alberta to the Rocky Mountain Trench of British Columbia. The southern end borders Idaho and Montana of the USA...
.
It is owned by the City of Cranbrook and operated by YVRAS (Vancouver Airport Services). Runway 16/34 is an 8000 by asphalt
Asphalt
Asphalt or , also known as bitumen, is a sticky, black and highly viscous liquid or semi-solid that is present in most crude petroleums and in some natural deposits, it is a substance classed as a pitch...
runway
Runway
According to ICAO a runway is a "defined rectangular area on a land aerodrome prepared for the landing and take-off of aircraft." Runways may be a man-made surface or a natural surface .- Orientation and dimensions :Runways are named by a number between 01 and 36, which is generally one tenth...
with a category 1 instrument landing system
Instrument Landing System
An instrument landing system is a ground-based instrument approach system that provides precision guidance to an aircraft approaching and landing on a runway, using a combination of radio signals and, in many cases, high-intensity lighting arrays to enable a safe landing during instrument...
capable of guiding aircraft down to 200 ft (61 m) in 1/2 mi of visibility. The terminal
Airport terminal
An airport terminal is a building at an airport where passengers transfer between ground transportation and the facilities that allow them to board and disembark from aircraft....
building covers 23000 sq ft (2,136.8 m²). In 2008, YXC served over 106,277 passengers and in 2010 had 15,060 aircraft movements. The airport is operated 24 hours a day by the Cranbrook Flight Service Station.
The airport is classified as an airport of entry
Airport of Entry
An airport of entry is an airport that provides customs and immigration services for incoming flights. These services allow the airport to serve as an initial port of entry for foreign visitors arriving in a country.-Africa:-Americas:-Asia:...
by NAV CANADA
NAV CANADA
Nav Canada is a privately run, not-for-profit corporation that owns and operates Canada's civil air navigation system .The company employs approximately 2,000 air traffic controllers , 800 flight service specialists and 700 technologists...
and is staffed by the Canada Border Services Agency
Canada Border Services Agency
The Canada Border Services Agency is a federal law enforcement agency that is responsible for border enforcement, immigration enforcement and customs services....
. CBSA officers at this airport currently can handle general aviation
General aviation
General aviation is one of the two categories of civil aviation. It refers to all flights other than military and scheduled airline and regular cargo flights, both private and commercial. General aviation flights range from gliders and powered parachutes to large, non-scheduled cargo jet flights...
aircraft only, with no more than 15 passengers. With prior notice, CBSA officers are able to handle commercial aircraft with up to 50 passengers, cost recovery is in effect for handling commercial aircraft.
Airlines and destinations
Incidents
On February 11, 1978 Flight 314Pacific Western Airlines Flight 314
On 11 February 1978, Pacific Western Airlines Flight 314, a 737-200, crashed at Cranbrook Airport, near Cranbrook, British Columbia, Canada, killing 42 of the 49 people on board....
, a Pacific Western Airlines
Pacific Western Airlines
Pacific Western Airlines was an airline that operated scheduled flights throughout western Canada and charter services around the world from the 1950s through the 1980s...
737-200 on a scheduled flight from Edmonton
Edmonton
Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...
, via Calgary
Calgary
Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
and Cranbrook, to Castlegar Airport
Castlegar Airport
The West Kootenay Regional Airport, is a small regional airport located south southeast of Castlegar, British Columbia. Owned and operated by the City of Castlegar, YCG has a passenger terminal. Due to the mountainous terrain impinging on both runway approaches, there is no possibility of a...
crashed at Cranbrook Airport. The aircraft crashed after thrust reversers did not fully stow following a rejected landing that was executed in order to avoid a snowplow
Snowplow
A snowplow is a device intended for mounting on a vehicle, used for removing snow and ice from outdoor surfaces, typically those serving transportation purposes...
. The crash killed 42 of the 48 people on board.