Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport, formerly known as Montgomery Field and Gibbs Field, is a public airport in San Diego, California, United States, six miles north of downtown San Diego. The airport covers and has three runways, one public and two private helipads. The runways are 28 Right/10 Left-28 Left/10 Right parallels and 5/23.
History
First known as Gibbs Field, the airport opened in July 1940 as an all-way clay and gravel surface airfield. It was founded by William Gibbs. In 1950, the airport was renamed Montgomery Field in honor of John Joseph Montgomery, an aviation pioneer who in 1884–1886 made the first manned, controlled, heavier-than-air flights in the United States from Otay Mesa south of San Diego starting with a glider designed in 1883. Montgomery-Gibbs assumed its current name in 2016 to recognize both of the airport's previous namesakes.
Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport is one of the busiest airports in the U.S. for small aircraft and has a number of flying clubs, flight schools, plus business turboprops and jets based there. The San Diego Fire Department bases aircraft there. King Schools, Inc. is based nearby and its aircraft are based at the airport. Since summer 2009, King Schools has been flight-testing the prototype Cessna 162 SkycatcherLight-Sport Aircraft at or around the airport. The Federal Aviation Administration has maintained an air traffic control tower at the airport since 1965. It is on the north side of the airport, just east of Taxiway C and Runway 23/5, and the normal hours are 0600-2100 local time.
Accidents and incidents
On September 25, 1978, a Cessna 172 registered as N7711G took off from Montgomery Field and proceeded to Lindbergh Field to do a practice instrument landing approach. PSA Flight 182 was heading east on its downwind descent before landing at Lindbergh. The PSA Boeing 727 hit the Cessna from behind, causing N7711G to disintegrate and flight 182 to crash.
On, a Piper 601P registered as N90353 crashed shortly after takeoff, killing all five aboard.
On, a Beech 56TC registered as N911SC collided with power lines while landing. The aircraft caught on fire and crashed, killing all four aboard.
On, a Cessna 152 registered as N783G stalled on final approach and abruptly crashed. The student pilot, flying solo, was killed.
On, a Piper PA-28 registered as N943R collided with a Cessna 150 while the two aircraft were making their final approaches to parallel runways. The aircraft failed to maintain visual separation and the low-wing Piper overtook the high-wing Cessna from behind and above. The Piper's control cables were severed by the Cessna's propeller and it crashed, killing both the student pilot and flight instructor. The Cessna made a forced landing, and both occupants survived.
On August 2, 2010, an experimental Velocity Super XL registered as N444YP crashed into a golf course shortly after takeoff at the airport, killing two of the five aboard.
On March 2, 2014, a Mooney M20S Eagle registered as N56FM sustained minor damage after a gear-up landing. The sole occupant, the pilot, was uninjured in the incident.
On July 30, 2014, a Mooney M20L registered as N147MP crashed in an adjacent shopping center parking lot after a failed go-around at the airport. Of the two occupants on board, the passenger was killed and the pilot was seriously injured.
On December 9, 2017, a Beechcraft Bonanza with four people on board crashed shortly after taking off from Montgomery-Gibbs. The pilot and a passenger survived with burn injuries while the two other passengers were killed.
