Watsonville Airport, Watsonville, CA

Location : Watsonville is south east of Santa Cruz.

History :

Excerpts from Watsonville Airport History - by author unknown

In the 1920's aircraft landed and took off from open fields. Landing speeds were so slow that they did not need runways.  Thus names like Mines Fields (now LAX), Mills Fields (now SFO), Buchanan Field (Concord) came to be.  Landing fields in our area were found at such places as Rio Del Mar, San Andreas, Palm Beach, one near Watsonville on Beach Road.  One called Storms Field, on what is now called Freedom Blvd. near Mariposa Ave., was used by many barnstormers to sell rides as they flew from town to town.

It was early in 1931 that Watsonville entered the aviation age.  On May 9, 1931, Governor James "Sunny Jim" Rolph

riding a Stinson Monoplane piloted by W.W. Bendell made a low pass over the runway and cut a ribbon stretched across the field to officially open Watsonville's first airport.

This was just over a year after the formation of "Watsonville Airport Inc.".  Five thousand shares of stock were issued and bought by 400 "largely civic minded citizens" to purchase land to build an airport.  An 85-acre site southwest of the city, near the junction of Highway 1 and Salinas road in Monterey County, was chosen for the airport because it was the only land available "at a reasonable price".  It was to become "the busy center of flying activity" until 1941 when it became a US Navy facility.  In 9141 the airport was designated as an auxiliary base out of which the Navy would fly blimps to patrol for submarines off our coast.  The blimp flight squadrons and flight crew were based a Moffett Field and Watsonville was an auxiliary field where a blimp and flight crew were stationed.  From there the blimps took off on 12-hour submarine patrols, convoy escort flights, or on may occasions, to perform air-sea rescues.  They stationed the crews here for about a month before being rotated with another crew and blimp....

...The Base was closed down in 1945 when the blimps were no longer needed.  The airport came to an end on May 3, 1947 when the corporation sold it to Edwin and Flora Peterson for a cattle feed lot.

In 1939 the Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA), forerunner of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), decided that a civil airport was needed in Santa Cruz County.  CAA representatives went first to the City of Santa Cruz offering to build an airport, if the city would buy the land.  This offer was conditioned with an agreement that upon accepting CAA funding the land would always be used for an airport.  Surprisingly, they voted down the offer.  The CAA presented the same offer to the City of Watsonville.  The offer was accepted by the City, and a special election was held on May 12, 1942 with Proposition 4 being a bond issue in the amount of $125,000 for a municipal airport.  The citizens of Watsonville passed Proposition 4 with 1547 for, 407 against and 27 votes marked invalid.

In August of 1942 a parcel of land (287.58 acres) was purchased near Freedom, the airports current site.  It was reported that the CAA had allocated $743,900 for construction of the airport.....

....The Navy took over in July, 1943, purchased an additional 35 acres, built support buildings and the concrete ramp.  On October 23, 1943, the airport was commissioned as Naval Air Auxiliary Station Watsonville (NAAS Watsonville) and served as a satellite to Naval Air Station (NAS) Alameda.

With two auxiliary bases here, Watsonville became4 know as  a "Navy Town".  One will liked and remember45ed by the thousands of Navy fliers who made their way to war zones..

There were as many as 75 combat aircraft and 1,200 men at a time stationed at the Air Station.  Then the ramp was used for Avengers, Corsairs, Dauntless', Hellcats and other Navy combat aircraft.  Today that same ramp provides ample space for corporate and private planes, both local and visiting, which make daily use of the airport.

NAAs Watsonville was not a primar4y training facility, but one where Carrier Air Groups (CAG) came to organize.  Each CAG consisted of torpedo, dive bomber and fighter squadrons.  They brought these together in Watsonville and stayed here 90 or 120 days to train together before being assigned to the carriers on duty in the Pacific Theater of Operations.  Since ships were most vulnerable to submarine attack entering and departing harbors, the CAGs would form on land and fly to the carrier after the ship was well clear of the harbor and reverse the procedure when returning to port.

Prior to the Navy taking over the airport in July , 1943, the CAS had contributed approximately $744,000.  The investment of the City in the project, by virtue of the ownership of the 287.58 acres, was approximately $280,000.  By March of 1944, the Navy had invested an additional $1.2 million.

As the war ended, so did operations at NAAS Watsonville.  On November 1, 1945 it was closed and placed on caretaker status....

...On December 2, 1946, a Southwest Airways DC3 (later Northwest Orient) landed at Watsonville Airport to pick up its first passenger and 16 pouches of mail, providing the first airline service to the community.  This service continued until 1956.
Special Events: Watsonville Airport is home to Day in the Sky, an annual event which provides an opportunity for children with disabilities to experience the freedom of flight.  In 2008, about 175 children had the chance to soar above Santa Cruz County. The volunteer pilots were members of the Watsonville chapter of the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA). Each volunteer was required to have logged at least 200 hours of flight time and pass a rigorous safety check form the EAA. This event, in it's fourth year is coordinated by Shared Adventures, an organization which offers recreational programs to people with special needs.

Watsonville Airport Today:  Obstructions reported; Buildings; Power lines: Birds; Intensive Flight training; Banner towing; Helicopter operations;




Airport Services and Amenities: Abe's Aviation, LLC; Airmartronics Avionics Division; Ocean Air Flight Services; Santa Cruz Flying Club; Stick and Rudder Aviation; Straight and Level Aviation; Strawberry Aviation; United Flight Services;  Restaurant on the field; Zunigas; Lodging nearby;

Special Events and Attractions: Golf; Beaches; Watsonville Flyin and Airshow Memorial Weekend; Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk;

Airport Area Accident History:

Accident occurred Saturday, November 21, 2009 in Watsonville, CA
Aircraft: BUDD JOHN B Lancair Legacy, registration: N7JX
Injuries: 1 Fatal.

This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed.

On November 21, 2009, about 1330 Pacific standard time, an experimental Budd Lancair Legacy, N7JX, crashed in an apple orchard 1 mile east of Watsonville Municipal Airport, California, after the pilot radioed a mayday call reporting a loss of engine power. The pilot operated the airplane under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. The commercial pilot was killed and the airplane was destroyed. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed.

Northern California TRACON reported that at 1316, the pilot radioed a mayday call on 121.5 MHz stating that he was at 5,500 feet, had an engine fire, and had visual contact of the Watsonville Airport. No other communications were reported. The aircraft wreckage was located soon afterwords, 1 mile east of the Watsonville Airport in an apple orchard.

The engine has been recovered for examination.
= = =
= = =

Accident occurred Thursday, April 26, 2007 in Watsonville, CA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 3/31/2008
Aircraft: Cessna 150L, registration: N1557Q
Injuries: 1 Minor, 1 Uninjured.
The airplane nosed over in a wheat field following a loss of engine power during takeoff. The certified flight instructor (CFI) estimated that 10 to 15 minutes elapsed between completion of the run-up and takeoff checklist before traffic cleared so that he and the student could take off. The takeoff was normal, and they started their climb to the practice area. About 200 to 300 feet agl, the engine started to lose power; it didn't just lose power. He took control. He applied carburetor heat, and pumped the throttle a few times as he had done in the past to keep an engine running. However, the engine didn't respond. The airplane was over the end of the runway. He felt that they were too low to turn around, and wanted to get the airplane down before they flew past the clear area before a freeway. He aimed for a wheat field that he thought would cushion the landing. He estimated that about 40 seconds elapsed from the loss of power to touchdown. The wheat in the field was 4-feet tall, and a lot thicker than the CFI expected. It stopped the airplane on touchdown, causing a nose over. He saw fire in the engine compartment. He instructed the student to be careful unstrapping since they were inverted, but to hurry. They both exited out the right side door, and cleared the airplane. The FAA coordinator examined the airplane and engine and no abnormalities were found to preclude normal operation. The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows: a partial loss of engine power for undertermined reasons during takeoff. ===
Accident occurred Friday, September 15, 2006 in Watsonville, CA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 1/31/2007
Aircraft: Grumman American AVN. CORP. AA-5, registration: N6532L
Injuries: 1 Uninjured.
During cruise flight the engine lost power and the airplane impacted several objects in a residential area about 2,000 feet from the airport during an attempted forced landing. The flight was 310 nautical miles. The pilot said that during the preflight he visually checked the fuel levels, which were near the top in both tanks. He calculated his time en route based on a no-wind condition as 2.58 hours, with 38 gallons of fuel and an 8-gallon per hour fuel burn. Prior to departure, he checked weather, which showed that he would encounter 10- to 15-knot headwinds. He reported that two of the flight's legs were longer than he had planned by a total of 35 minutes. He had begun to worry about the airplane's fuel state and had briefly considered a fuel stop short of his destination to refuel. During the descent to his destination airport, the pilot switched the fuel selector to the right fuel tank and the engine lost power. He switched to the left tank, the engine started again, but then lost power. The pilot attempted a forced landing at an uncontrolled airport, but the airplane did not have sufficient altitude to make the runway, and it landed in a residential area short of the airport. A deputy who responded to the accident site noted that there was no smell of fuel around the airplane and the left wing fuel tank was empty. The right wing had separated during the accident sequence. The pilot stated that there were no mechanical anomalies encountered with the airplane or engine. The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows: A loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion as a result of the pilot's inadequate preflight planning, en route fuel consumption calculations, and in-flight decision to continue to the destination instead of stopping en route for fuel. ===
Accident occurred Sunday, June 12, 2005 in Watsonville, CA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 2/28/2006
Aircraft: Cessna 210, registration: N9457T
Injuries: 3 Uninjured.
The airplane landed gear up. The pilot reported that he put the gear handle in the down position as he was crossing over the field to enter the downwind leg of the traffic pattern for runway 20. At this time he noticed that the green landing gear annunciator light had illuminated. Due to the high level of traffic in the pattern, the pilot did not look into the mirrors to visually check if the landing gear had deployed successfully like he usually does. During the landing flare, the airplane's tail impacted the runway causing the airplane to bounce. The tail came down and impacted the runway again. Shortly thereafter, the entire airplane spun off the runway to the left onto the grass separating the taxiway and the runway. A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector examined the airplane after the accident occurred. He stated that the main landing gear doors were closed, and the main gear was in the fully retracted position. The nose wheel had partially extended. The FAA inspector interviewed several witnesses who heard the airplane's engine increase in power just prior to the landing. According to the Cessna 210 Owners Manual, the landing gear and doors operate in a specific sequence. Once the pilot places the gear position handle out of the neutral position, the engine driven hydraulic pump begins to create hydraulic pressure and transfers it to the hydraulic actuators, which operate the landing gear doors and landing gear. When the gear position handle is placed in the down position, the hydraulic pump supplies pressure to the door's actuators first, allowing the doors to open. Then, the hydraulic pressure will switch to the landing gear actuators, and the gear will extend. Once the landing gear has completed the extension, the hydraulic pressure will switch back to the door's actuators, and the doors will close. When the doors have completely closed, the gear position handle will return to the neutral position, completing the process. The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows: the pilot's failure to extend the landing gear prior to landing. ===
Accident occurred Monday, December 15, 2003 in Watsonville, CA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 3/30/2005
Aircraft: Cessna 182P, registration: N1595M
Injuries: 2 Minor.
The airplane lost engine power shortly after takeoff and collided with the ground as the pilot was attempting a return to runway maneuver. The pilot said that the engine was running a little rough on the first run up but it smoothed out on the second run up. He performed a normal takeoff and climb. The engine was running smooth then quit suddenly between 200 and 300 feet above ground level (agl). Because there were houses directly beyond the end of the runway he entered an immediate left descending 90-degree turn and leveled the wings before impacting the ground. Post accident fluid samples were taken and water was found in the right main fuel tank, gascolator, and carburetor bowl. The fuel filler cap o-rings were hardened and cracked, and the fuel tank filler ports showed rust stains around the interior perimeter of the port with rust corrosion on the interior filler flanges. The airplane had been delivered to the airport by the pilot in July for its annual inspection, and to be placed for sale. The airplane remained tied down outside without significant flight activity until the accident flight. Airworthiness Directive (AD) 83-12-01 was last complied with in July 2002. AD 83-12-01 dictates that a placard stating "CAUTION Leaking fuel caps can cause loss of fuel and erroneously high fuel quantity indications" be placed adjacent to the fuel quantity gauges. Additionally, it indicates that the fuel caps, seals, and filler ports should be inspected for indications of improper sealing or leaking. Examination of the cockpit revealed no such placards were present, adjacent to the fuel quantity gauges, as required by AD-83-12-01. The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows: a loss of engine power due to water contamination of the fuel system and the pilot's inadequate preflight inspection. A contributing factor was the pilot/owner's failure to comply with the appropriate Airworthiness Directive. ===
Accident occurred Saturday, December 06, 2003 in Watsonville, CA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 2/28/2006
Aircraft: Cessna 172S, registration: N396TA
Injuries: 1 Uninjured.
The airplane nosed over during a forced landing in a muddy field following a total loss of engine power. The pilot was en route to Monterey at 2,400 feet mean sea level (msl), in instrument meteorological conditions, when the engine lost power and failed to restart after three attempts. The pilot stated that he had 10 gallons of fuel in the right and left fuel tanks. The airplane remained inverted in the field for a period of time due to the muddy conditions that made access and recovery very difficult. After recovery of the aircraft, 4 gallons of fuel was found in the right tank and 1.75 gallons were in the left tank. The fuel selector was positioned to the "Both" position and fuel was found in all components of the fuel system. Examination of the engine revealed no condition that would have prevented normal operation. The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows: loss of engine power for undetermined reasons. ===
Accident occurred Saturday, August 30, 2003 in Watsonville, CA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 7/7/2005
Aircraft: Mooney M20C, registration: N707JH
Injuries: 3 Serious.
The airplane collided with trees and terrain while the pilot was searching for the airport in instrument metrological conditions (IMC). Prior to departure, the non-instrument rated pilot programmed the flight's intended route into the moving map display of the onboard global positioning system (GPS), as a means to navigate. After passing over mountains located to the east of the airport, the pilot observed the ground to be obscured by fog. The pilot continued further west, maneuvering the airplane over Monterey bay and then circled back to the east toward the airport. While en route, the pilot was searching for the lights on the golf driving range, located about 1/2 mile west of the airport. He was unable to see the lights, and the airplane impacted mountainous terrain, coming to rest in an oak tree. Several minutes before the accident weather reports indicated overcast ceilings of 300 feet above ground level with a visibility of 7 miles. The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows: the non-instrument rated pilot's intentional continuance of VFR flight into instrument meteorological conditions and failure to maintain clearance with terrain. ===
Accident occurred Friday, August 31, 2001 in Watsonville, CA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 12/6/2002
Aircraft: Cessna T210M, registration: N6877M
Injuries: 1 Fatal.
The single engine airplane impacted terrain, 3 miles from the runway, while on final approach during hours of darkness. The pilot was executing a localizer instrument landing approach and the reported weather conditions at the airport were below minimums for the approach. The pilot, who died 25 days after the accident, told early responders "I lost my engine." A postcrash fire destroyed the cockpit area and inboard wings of the airplane and a large area of surrounding vegetation. Fueling records and a fuel consumption calculation showed that the airplane should have had sufficient fuel on board for about 3 hours more flying. The engine was peripherally involved in the fire and was subsequently run on an engine stand satisfactorily. The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows: The loss of engine power for undetermined reasons. ===
Accident occurred Friday, August 18, 2000 in WATSONVILLE, CA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 3/30/2004
Aircraft: Robinson R22 BETA, registration: N8313Z
Injuries: 2 Fatal.
The flight instructor was cruising or maneuvering the helicopter during an introductory flight with a new student. Witnesses in the area reported observing the helicopter in what appeared to be normal flight, heard a loud bang, and then saw the helicopter abruptly pitch nose down while the main rotor blades separated from the helicopter. One of the witnesses observed the helicopter turn and climb moments before the accident sequence initiated; two of the witnesses reported that just prior to the accident the helicopter was flying in level cruise flight. At the time of the accident, the sky was clear, the visibility was at least 10 miles, a light breeze existed, and no other aircraft were flying in the immediate area. The on-scene examination of the accident site revealed Plexiglas fragments and left door components about 400 feet from where the main wreckage fell into an open dirt field. Additional items, including sunglasses, a left skid tube-mounted component and the main rotor blade assembly, were found 140 to 330 feet from the main wreckage. An examination of the rotor hub revealed the teetering stops were cracked and both of the rotor blade spindles had broken their respective (droop stop) tusks. The physical evidence indicates the main rotor diverged from its normal plane of rotation, resulting in mast bumping, main rotor blade contact with the fuselage, and separation of the main rotor assembly. No evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunction was found with the helicopter. The initiating event that produced the main rotor divergence could not be determined.
The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows: The divergence of the main rotor from its normal plane of rotation for an undetermined reason, which resulted in mast bumping and rotor contact with the fuselage. ===
Accident occurred Sunday, July 09, 2000 in Watsonville, CA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 11/25/2003
Aircraft: Interavia E-3, registration: N4426X
Injuries: 1 Minor.
The private pilot was flying his experimental single engine airplane after performing maintenance, when the engine lost power after 40 minutes of operation. According to the pilot's written statement, he "checked and measured" the gas in the fuel tanks after performing maintenance on the airplane. He calculated that he had 20 gallons of fuel on board, or 40 minutes of endurance at 100 percent power or 1 hour of endurance at 70 percent power. He started the engine at 1450 and departed at 1500. He reported that he set the power at 70 percent for the flight. The engine quit as the pilot was turning back toward the airport. He checked the fuel gauges and reported that they indicated 5 gallons in each fuel tank. He pumped the fuel pump and the engine started, ran for approximately 30 seconds, and lost power again. The pilot reported that he could not restart the engine. He elected to land in a cow pasture on the side of mountainous terrain. While attempting to land over a fence and trees, the left wing touched down, slewing the plane off course. The left main landing gear separated from the left wing and the wing sustained structural damage. In his statement, the pilot noted that he should have operated the airplane by fuel time, not the gauges. The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows: the total loss of engine power due to the pilot's inaccurate fuel consumption calculations, which resulted in fuel exhaustion. ===

Airport Approach / Landing: