Defiance Memorial Airport

Defiance Memorial Airport
Summary
Airport typePublic
OwnerBoard of County Commissioners
ServesDefiance, Ohio
Time zoneUTC−05:00 (-5)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−04:00 (-4)
Elevation AMSL707 ft (215 m)
Coordinates41°20′15″N 084°25′44″W / 41.33750°N 84.42889°W / 41.33750; -84.42889
Map
DFI is located in Ohio
DFI
DFI
Location of airport in Ohio
DFI is located in the United States
DFI
DFI
DFI (the United States)
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
12/30 4,199 1,280 Asphalt
Statistics (2023)
Aircraft operations (year ending 6/14/2023)9,420
Based aircraft18
Source: Federal Aviation Administration[1]

Defiance Memorial Airport (IATA: DFI, ICAO: KDFI, FAA LID: DFI) is a public use airport located four nautical miles (7 km) northwest of the central business district of Defiance, in Defiance County, Ohio, United States. It is owned by the Board of County Commissioners.[1]

History

It was announced in early March 1943 that the existing airport in Defiance would likely close at the start of the following month.[2] The Defiance County Airport Company was incorporated in late March.[3] At a meeting in late November, Defiance County agreed to work with Williams County to find a location for a new airport between Defiance and Bryan.[4] Four sites were evaluated in early December and one, located in part on land belonging to the county home, was provisionally selected approximately two weeks later.[5][6] Before the end of the month, fundraising for the Bryan-Defiance Airport began.[7] A few days later, $60,000 had been raised and a layout that included two paved 3,500 ft × 100 ft (1,067 m × 30 m) runways proposed.[8] To accompany the project, State Route 15, which provided access to the airport, was to be improved and an adjacent state park was to be expanded.[9][10] Two contracts, one for a company from each city, were awarded in late September 1944 for the construction of two 6-unit t-hangars.[11] An airport manager was appointed in late April 1945 and a temporary runway approved by the CAA in early July.[12][13]

A project to lengthen the north-south runway to 3,200 ft (980 m) started in mid August 1946.[14] Three years later, by late September 1949, paving of a 3,000 ft (910 m) runway had begun.[15]

By late June 1967, it had been renamed from Bryan-Defiance Memorial Airport to simply Defiance County Airport.[16] A state grant was approved in mid July and awarded in September.[17][18] In November, a new fixed-base operator, Defiance Air Service, assumed management of the airport.[19] In late May 1969, shortly before its planned dedication, the airport sought an instrument landing system.[20]

A weight limit for airplanes was instituted in June 1981 due to the poor condition of the runway.[21]

Facilities and aircraft

Defiance Memorial Airport covers an area of 314 acres (127 ha) at an elevation of 707 feet (215 m) above mean sea level. It has one runway designated 12/30 with an asphalt surface measuring 4,199 by 72 feet (1,280 x 22 m).[1]

For the 12-month period ending June 14, 2023, the airport had 9,420 aircraft operations, an average of 26 per day: 84% general aviation, 16% air taxi and <1% military. At that time there were 18 aircraft based at this airport: 15 single-engine, and 3 multi-engine airplanes.[1][22]

Accidents and incidents

  • On March 19, 1994, a Cessna 414 crashed while on approach to Defiance Airport. Witnesses reported the aircraft was flying erratically and low to the ground on approach, causing a crash. The probable cause of the crash was found to be the pilot's inadequate inflight decision and planning, which resulted in fuel exhaustion and the total loss of engine power.[23]
  • On September 17, 2021, a Cirrus SR 20 airplane crashed on approach to Defiance Airport. The airport was coming in for landing when it departed from the side of the runway. The sole pilot onboard was uninjured.[24]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "FAA Airport Form 5010 for DFI" (PDF). FAA. Retrieved 2023-08-10.
  2. ↑ "Defiance Airport May Close After April 1". Bryan Democrat. 4 March 1943. Retrieved 24 June 2026.
  3. ↑ "Incorporate Defiance Airport". Archbold Buckeye. 31 March 1943. p. 2. Retrieved 24 June 2026.
  4. ↑ "Defiance and Williams Seek New Airport Site". Bryan Democrat. 2 December 1943. Retrieved 24 June 2026.
  5. ↑ "Airport Site Will Be Discussed Here Wednesday Evening". Bryan Democrat. 6 December 1943. Retrieved 24 June 2026.
  6. ↑ "Choose Airport Site Twelve Miles Away". Bryan Press. 16 December 1943. p. 1. Retrieved 24 June 2026.
  7. ↑ "Set $100,000 Goal for Airport Fund". Bryan Democrat. 30 December 1943. Retrieved 24 June 2026.
  8. ↑ "Over $60,000 Pledged to Develop Airport". Bryan Press. 6 January 1944. p. 1. Retrieved 24 June 2026.
  9. ↑ "Making Efforts to Obtain Priorities for Hangar Units". Bryan Democrat. 20 July 1944. Retrieved 24 June 2026.
  10. ↑ "Plan Airport Park, Will Begin Grading". Bryan Democrat. 18 May 1944. Retrieved 24 June 2026.
  11. ↑ "Weaver Firm Given Contract for Hangar". Bryan Press. 28 September 1944. p. 1. Retrieved 24 June 2026.
  12. ↑ "Schmitt Appointed Manager of Bryan, Defiance Airport". Bryan Democrat. 30 April 1945. Retrieved 24 June 2026.
  13. ↑ "Inspector Approved Bryan-Defiance Port". Bryan Press. 5 July 1945. p. 1. Retrieved 24 June 2026.
  14. ↑ "Will Lengthen Runway at Bryan-Defiance Port". Bryan Democrat. 15 August 1946. Retrieved 7 March 2026.
  15. ↑ "Paving of Runways is Begun at Bryan-Defiance Airfield". Bryan Times. 30 September 1949. Retrieved 7 March 2026.
  16. ↑ Bell, Ned (27 June 1967). "Counties Taking Off On New Airport Projects Under Pressure of Industry, Travel Expansion". The Blade. p. 17. Retrieved 7 March 2026.
  17. ↑ "Defiance County Gets Airport Fund Grant". Bryan Times. 15 July 1967. p. 1. Retrieved 23 June 2026.
  18. ↑ "Tri-State News Round-Up". Tri-State Alliance. 21 September 1967. Retrieved 24 June 2026.
  19. ↑ "New Firm Takes Over at Airport". The Blade. 13 November 1967. p. 8. Retrieved 23 June 2026.
  20. ↑ Sparrow, Keith (22 May 1969). "Landing Aid Planned at Airport". The Blade. p. 35. Retrieved 7 March 2026.
  21. ↑ "Defiance County Sets Airport Weight Limit". The Blade. 27 June 1981. p. 15. Retrieved 24 June 2026.
  22. ↑ "AirNav: KDFI - Defiance Memorial Airport". www.airnav.com. Retrieved 2023-11-26.
  23. ↑ "Cessna 414 crash in Ohio (N1576T) | PlaneCrashMap.com". planecrashmap.com. Retrieved 2023-11-26.
  24. ↑ "Pilot uninjured following plane crash at Defiance County Memorial Airport". wtol.com. September 17, 2021. Retrieved 2023-11-26.
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