Little River Airport, Little River, California

Airport Location:  The Little River Airport is located 3 miles south east of Little River, California.

Airport History:  The area of the current airport was thought of as prairie before construction began, now it's called Pygmy Forest.  In the past the area was burned every four years to provide for production of Huckleberries.  The land was originally acquired by the County for the military, and the military built the airport.  Like many small airport in California the Little River Airport is under attack by local governments and "environmentalists" who see little value in an airport.

Little River Airport Today:



Airport Services and Amenities:  Food and lodging nearby; Taxis and Rental Cars; Coast Flyers, Inc.; Fuel; Air BP 100LL; Self service; 100LL;

Special Events and Attractions: Arts and Crafts; Coastal Scenery; Historic Town; Mountain Biking; Whale Watching;

Airport Area Accident History:
Accident occurred Sunday, May 25, 2003 in Little River, CA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 12/28/2004
Aircraft: Cessna 172B, registration: N7555X
Injuries: 1 Fatal.
The airplane took off, flew out over the ocean, and dropped off radar. The pilot was flying from his home to his place of business. A friend called the pilot's office the next morning and was told that the pilot had not come into work yet. The friend notified the FAA and an ALNOT was issued. The local Civil Air Patrol unit made several searches; however, they found no wreckage. The airplane and pilot remain missing. The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows: Aircraft is missing. ===
Accident occurred Wednesday, October 31, 2001 in Little River, CA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 7/7/2005
Aircraft: Cessna 182S, registration: N7270E
Injuries: 1 Fatal.
While making a Visual Flight Rules approach in Instrument Flight Rules conditions, the airplane impacted trees and terrain 1.5 miles from the airport. There is no record that the pilot requested or received a weather briefing for the flight. A witness at the airport said that he heard an aircraft circling in the vicinity of the airport; however, he could not see it because of the low clouds and fog over the field. Using his hand-held radio on the common traffic advisory frequency (CTAF) 122.7, the witness established contact with the pilot. The pilot said he was trying to land at the airport, and at one point could see the runway lights through the fog, but had lost sight of the runway. The witness then heard the aircraft continue to the east at what sounded like a reduced power setting. The witness did not hear any unusual engine sounds emanating from the airplane. There was no further communications from the pilot. A resident living near the crash site heard the sounds of an impact and reported the event to the sheriff's department. Search efforts were hampered by fog and low visibility conditions and the wreckage was not located until about 1000 the next day. The accident site is 1.5 miles north east of the airport at an elevation about 200 feet higher than the runway. The airport manager estimated the visibility to be about 1-mile with a 300-foot ceiling. Examination of the engine and airframe revealed no discrepancies. The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows: the pilot's continued VFR flight into instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in a collision with trees and terrain.



Little River Airport Approach / Landing: