Mercer County Airport (West Virginia)
Airport in West Virginia, United States
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Mercer County Airport (IATA: BLF, ICAO: KBLF, FAA LID: BLF) is in Mercer County,[1] three miles northeast of Bluefield, West Virginia[1] and about nine miles southwest of Princeton, West Virginia. The National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2011–2015 categorized it as a general aviation facility.[2]
Mercer County Airport | |||||||||||
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| Summary | |||||||||||
| Airport type | Public | ||||||||||
| Owner | Mercer County Airport Authority | ||||||||||
| Serves | Bluefield / Princeton, West Virginia | ||||||||||
| Location | 300 Markel Drive, #200, Bluefield, West Virginia, United States | ||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 2,857 ft (871 m) | ||||||||||
| Coordinates | 37°17′45″N 081°12′28″W | ||||||||||
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| Map | |||||||||||
  BLF Location within West Virginia | |||||||||||
| Runways | |||||||||||
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| Statistics (2023) | |||||||||||
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| Source: Federal Aviation Administration[1] | |||||||||||
The airport has been served by scheduled airlines. Service was subsidized by the Essential Air Service program until August 1, 2006, when it ended due to federal law not allowing a subsidy over $200 per passenger for communities within 210 miles of a large or medium hub airport (Charlotte/Douglas International Airport in North Carolina being 173 miles away).[3] Federal Aviation Administration records say Mercer County Airport had 2,041 passenger boardings (enplanements) in calendar year 2004, 1,885 enplanments in 2005,[4] 1,833 in 2006 and 1,721 in 2007.[5] Scheduled passenger flights ended in 2007.
Facilities
Mercer County Airport covers 511 acres (207 ha) at an elevation of 2,857 feet (871 m). Its one runway, 5/23, is 4,743 by 100 feet (1,446 x 30 m) asphalt.[1]
In the year ending July 11, 2023, the airport had 16,400 aircraft operations, average 45 per day: 88% general aviation, 11% air taxi, and <1% military. 21 aircraft were then based at this airport: 15 single-engine, 5 helicopter, and 1 ultralight.[1]
Former airlines
- Piedmont Airlines 1953–54 to 1980 (the airport opened about 1953)
- Appalachian Airlines (ended operations in 1980) [6]
- Colgan Air (ended operations November 12, 2007)
- Aeromech Airlines (service during the early 1980s)[7]
Accidents at BLF
- On April 12, 1961, a Douglas DC-3 operated by US Steel Corp. was damaged beyond repair in a runway excursion and went over an embankment. There were no fatalities or injuries.[8]
- On January 21, 1981, a Cessna Citation I operated by Georgia-Pacific Corp. crashed after an attempted go-around on a slushy runway, overran the runway, struck three localizer antennas and a 10-foot embankment before plunging into a steep wooded hillside. All five occupants were killed.[9]