Ross County Airport

Ross County Airport
Summary
OwnerRoss County Board of Commissioners
OperatorTRM Aviation
ServesChillicothe, Ohio
LocationRoss County, Ohio
Opened1960s
Time zoneUTC−05:00 (-5)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−04:00 (-4)
Elevation AMSL725 ft (221 m)
Coordinates39°26′25″N 83°1′24″W / 39.44028°N 83.02333°W / 39.44028; -83.02333
Map
RZT is located in Ohio
RZT
RZT
Location of airport in Ohio
RZT is located in the United States
RZT
RZT
RZT (the United States)
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
5/23 5,405 1,647 Asphalt
Statistics (2021)
Aircraft movements53,655
Source: Federal Aviation Administration[1]

The Ross County Airport (ICAO: KRZT, FAA LID: RZT)[a] is a publicly owned, public use airport located 6 miles northwest of Chillicothe in Ross County, Ohio, United States. The airport sits on 350 acres at an elevation of 725 feet.[3][4][5]

The airport has a number of attractions for local aviation enthusiasts. A local chapter of the Experimental Aircraft Association is based at the airport[6] and holds events for locals.[7] One event involves a local Ford Tri-Motor aircraft, which is made available for rides.[8][9]

History

The airport was built in the 1960s when Ohio Governor Jim Rhodes declared each county in Ohio should have an airport.[9] Planning for the airport began as early as May 1964, when the county planning commission proposed the creation of an airport authority.[10] By mid January 1966, a joint airport with Pickaway County had been proposed.[11] Plans for the airport were accepted by the state in early June 1967.[12] The county purchased about 92 acres (37 ha) of land – a portion of which included an existing 2,800-foot (850 m) grass runway – in mid May 1968.[13] Ten days later, a state grant was approved.[14] The airport and its 4,000-foot (1,200 m) runway were certified on 21 November 1968, aircraft began using them by at least April 1969 and they were dedicated on 17 May 1970.[15][16][17] An additional state grant was approved before the end of the month.[18]

The airport received a state grant in April 2011 to extend is main taxiway. The taxiway surface was also to be repaved, its design changed to meet FAA standards, and trees and buildings removed.[19]

The airport received over $100,000 to rehabilitate a taxiway to maintain the structural integrity of the pavement as well as to acquire additional land to enhance protection for the airport's approaches.[20]

Facilities and aircraft

The airport has one runway, designated as runway 5/23. It measures 5,405 x 100 ft (1,647 x 30 m) and is paved with asphalt.

For the 12-month period ending September 7, 2021, the airport had 53,655 aircraft operations, an average of 147 per day. This included 92% general aviation, 7% military, and 1% air taxi. For the same time period, 25 aircraft were based at the airport: 24 single-engine airplanes and 1 jet airplane.[3][4][5]

The airport has a fixed-base operator that sells fuel – both avgas and jet fuel – and offers services such as catering, deicing, aircraft detailing, rest rooms, showers, a pilot lounge, and snooze rooms.[21][22]

Accidents and incidents

  • On September 28, 1996, a Mitsubishi MU-2B was substantially damaged during a precautionary landing at the Ross County Airport. During climbout from the airport, one of the aircraft's engines lost power. The pilot shut down the engine but was unable to maintain altitude afterward and had difficulty maintaining directional control. After touchdown at the airport during the precautionary landing, the aircraft veered off the runway and came to rest in a ditch. An examination of the left engine revealed that the torque sensor housing had failed due to fatigue, resulting in a loss of drive to the fuel pump. The investigation also found that the pilot did not comply with engine failure procedures and required air speeds. Factors relating to the accident were fatigue failure of the left torque sensor and gear assembly, which resulted in the loss of engine power; a failure of the manufacturer to comply a respective service bulletin; and the pilot's improper use of the flaps and reverse (single-engine) thrust.[23]
  • On January 19, 2001, a Piper PA-46 was substantially damaged during an aborted take-off from Ross County Airport. The pilot aboard said that it took an atypically long time to reach rotation speed. When he attempted to rotate the aircraft, it did not lift normally, and his copilot reported the plane did not feel right. As he was only three to four feet off the ground with little runway remaining, the pilot turned to avoid trees and retarded the throttle. The aircraft touched down, slid, turned, and came to rest upright facing the runway. The probable cause of the accident was found to be the pilot's improper pre-flight planning and failure to follow the published checklist procedures, which resulted in ice and snow not being removed from the wings prior to take-off.[24]

See also

References

Footnotes

  1. ↑ The airport formerly used the FAA location identifier 3I8.[2]

Notes

  1. ↑ "FAA Airport Form 5010 for RZT" (PDF). FAA. Retrieved 2026-07-26.
  2. ↑ "Part 2: Airport Directory". Airman's Information Manual. Federal Aviation Administration, Department of Transportation. Autumn–Winter 1971. p. 2-141. Retrieved 26 August 2026.
  3. 1 2 "AirNav: KRZT - Ross County Airport". www.airnav.com. Retrieved 2023-08-03.
  4. 1 2 "RZT - Ross County Airport | SkyVector". skyvector.com. Retrieved 2023-08-03.
  5. 1 2 "(KRZT) Ross County Airport". Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association. Retrieved 2023-08-03.
  6. ↑ "Chapters | EAA Chapter 1625". chapters.eaa.org. Experimental Aircraft Association. Retrieved 2023-08-03.
  7. ↑ Bevens, Bret (2022-09-01). "Historic airplane to come to Ross County Airport". The Pike County News Watchman. Retrieved 2023-08-03.
  8. ↑ "1928 Ford Tri-Motor Aircraft at Ross County Airport". Lancaster Eagle-Gazette. Retrieved 2023-08-03.
  9. 1 2 Coleman, Kevin (27 July 2022). "A Visit to the Ross County Airport". WKKJ. Retrieved 25 May 2026.
  10. ↑ "Ross Planners Urge Action on Airport". Chillicothe Gazette. 20 May 1964. p. 1. Retrieved 25 May 2026.
  11. ↑ "Ross, Pickaway County Airport to Be Considered". Chillicothe Gazette. 18 January 1966. p. 1. Retrieved 16 June 2026.
  12. ↑ "State Okays Ross Airport". Circleville Herald. 10 June 1967. p. 8. Retrieved 16 June 2026.
  13. ↑ "Murdock, Buchanan Given $64,434 for Airport Land". Chillicothe Gazette. 14 May 1968. p. 1. Retrieved 16 June 2026.
  14. ↑ "Ross Airport Funds Freed". Chillicothe Gazette. 23 May 1968. p. 1. Retrieved 16 June 2026.
  15. ↑ "Ross County Airport Certified". Chillicothe Gazette. 3 March 1969. p. 2. Retrieved 6 March 2026.
  16. ↑ Forgrave, Tom (17 April 1969). "County Airport Growth Continues". Chillicothe Gazette. pp. 1–2. Retrieved 6 March 2026.
  17. ↑ McFarren, Jack (18 May 1970). "Ross County Airport Dedicated". Chillicothe Gazette. p. 2. Retrieved 6 March 2026.
  18. ↑ "Airport Funds Released". Chillicothe Gazette. 22 May 1970. p. 13. Retrieved 16 June 2026.
  19. ↑ "Brown Announces More Than $80,000 For Ross County Airport Expansion". Sherrod Brown. 29 April 2011. Archived from the original on 1 March 2014. Retrieved 25 May 2026.
  20. ↑ "Lawrence County Airpark Receives Nearly $83K in Federal Funds". Ironton Tribune. 13 June 2022. Retrieved 16 June 2026.
  21. ↑ "TRM Aviation, Inc". Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association. Retrieved 2023-08-03.
  22. ↑ "TRM Aviation FBO Info & Fuel Prices at Ross County (KRZT)". FlightAware. Retrieved 2023-08-03.
  23. ↑ "Incident Mitsubishi MU-2B-30 N618BB, 28 Sep 1996". aviation-safety.net. Retrieved 2023-08-03.
  24. ↑ "Piper PA 46-350P crash in Ohio (N747RC) | PlaneCrashMap.com". planecrashmap.com. Retrieved 2023-08-03.
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