Draft:Sackman Field

The airport first became operational in the 1950s. The Columbia Flying Club was organized in the 1970s to properly manage the airport, and a new, expanded runway was built in the 1980s. Flooding from the Mississippi River has been a concern at the airport since at least 1993, when planes were flown out due to flooding in the area.

Today, the airport serves as a sort of community hub, holding fly-ins, swap meets, and garage sales featuring unwanted items from aircraft hangars.^[10][11]

The airport has one runway: runway 3/21 is 2450 x 150 ft (747 x 46 m) and is made of turf.^{[3][4][12][13][14]}

For the 12-month period ending April 30, 2021, the airport has 115 operations per week, or about 6,000 per year. It is comprised entirely of general aviation. For the same time period, there are 45 aircraft based at the field, all single-engine airplanes.^{[3][4][12][15]}

There is no fixed-base operator located at the field. However, there is a flying club based at the airport providing airport facilities to members. The club, called Columbia Aero Club, maintains the airport as well.

The Gateway Tailwheel Club is also based at the airport.

The airport is home to EAA Chapter 331.^{[16][17][18][19]}

• On September 6, 2003, a Dixon Glasair II was substantially damaged during an aborted takeoff from the Sackman Field Airport. In his written statement, the pilot reported that, on the takeoff roll, the aircraft initially lifted off but settled back onto the runway. As the aircraft lifted off again, the pilot side cabin door inadvertently "flew open." The pilot's attempt to secure the door was not successful, and he initiated an aborted takeoff. The aircraft touched down in a "fast taxi roll" with very little runway remaining. The pilot noted that when he applied maximum braking effort, the aircraft "veered off [the] runway" and encountered soft terrain. The nose gear and left main landing gear collapsed and the aircraft subsequently flipped over. The probable cause was found to be the pilot's failure to maintain directional control during an aborted takeoff.^[20]
• On November 23, 2006, a Cessna 120 was substantially damaged during landing at Sackman Field. The pilot reported that, upon landing, the airplane veered to the left, and he was unable to correct with rudder input. He reported that the airplane was heading toward the side of the runway and he applied right brake in an attempt to keep the airplane from going off of the runway. He reported that the left main wheel went off of the runway but the right main wheel did not exit the paved surface. The airplane came to rest near the runway centerline. The probable cause of the accident was found to be the pilot's failure to maintain directional control during landing which resulted in an overload of the tailwheel attachment structure in the fuselage.^[21]
• On June 15, 2007, a Luscombe 8A was substantially damaged when the left main gear collapsed after landing at Sackman Field. The pilot stated that he was practicing touch and go landings earlier in the flight and decided to make his last landing to a full stop. After the airplane landed, it veered to the right. The pilot corrected with left rudder but the airplane continued to turn to the right. The airplane departed the right side of the runway into a bean field, the left wheel hit a depression, and the left main gear subsequently collapsed. The probable cause was found to be the pilot's failure to maintain directional control of the airplane, causing a ground loop, subsequent runway excursion, and left main gear collapse.^[22]
• On July 24, 2007, a Marcellus Starduster SA-300 was substantially damaged when the left main landing gear collapsed during landing. The pilot stated that, on short final, the airplane's sink rate was "higher than it should have been" and that he "did not correct it soon enough." The airplane landed hard, the pilot felt something "give" on the left side, and the left main landing gear collapsed. The pilot stated that the airplane then "swerved to the left" but he was able to stop the airplane on the runway. The probable cause was found to be the pilot's improper flare, which resulted in a hard landing and subsequent left main landing gear collapse.^[23]
• On August 17, 2011, a Jabiru SP crashed while landing at the airport. The pilot stated that the airplane veered to the right and existed the runway while on its rollout, substantially damaging the left wing and fuselage. A post-accident investigation found that the right main wheel had separated from its axle; the lost parts were not recovered. The probable cause of the accident was this wheel separation for unknown reasons.^[24][25]
• On July 4, 2014, a Quicksilver Sport aircraft crashed near the airport.^[26][27]
• On July 28, 2018, a Piper PA-28 Cherokee crashed after taking off from Sackman Airport. Witnesses say the aircraft clipped a powerline while flying low after liftoff and crashed soon afterwards. The four passengers onboard the aircraft were taken to hospitals with non-life-threatning injuries. The incident caused a power outage for roughly 1300 residents nearby.^{[28][29][30][31][32]}

Additionally, on March 7, 2015, an Ercoupe 415-C crashed during a forced landing in near the St Louis Metro-East Airport in St Jacob, Illinois. The pilot had diverted there after attempting to land at Sackman. The private pilot onboard was not injured. The probable cause of the accident was loss of engine power due to fuel contamination.^[33]