Mahlon Sweet Field Airport: Eugene, Oregon

Eugene Airport is the home of an expanding general aviation community. After moving from the old Eugene Airport at 18th & Chambers in 1956, the growth of general aviation activity at Mahlon Sweet Field has increased rapidly.

Construction started Tuesday, June 2, on a $9.5 million rehabilitation of the Eugene Airport’s main runway.
Most of the project will be completed in June, with construction crews working 24 hours a day for 28 days, with an allowance for rain delays.

In addition to resurfacing the length of the 8,009-foot runway (about 11/2 miles), the project includes correcting grades, building runway shoulders to current design standards, resurfacing Taxiway A6, replacing runway lights and installing an in-pavement temperature sensor system.
Paving the shoulders will enable the main runway to accommodate Boeing 747s. Currently, a 747 leaving Eugene Airport requires the removal of runways lights to avoid damage to the lights.

Federal Aviation Administration funding will pay for 95 percent of the project, with the city-owned airport covering the balance. The airport’s share is expected to come from a state Connect Oregon III grant.

The project is not expected to impact commercial or general aviation traffic. Aircraft flying in and out of Eugene will use the east parallel runway during construction, which is used daily by general aviation traffic and often by commercial traffic when maintenance is being performed on the main runway.
Finish work on the project, including grooving and pavement markings, will be completed by the end of September. Wildish Construction Co. of Eugene is the contractor.

The last complete pavement overlay was constructed in 1994. The expected lifespan of the repaved runway is 15 to 20 years.

Find Eugene Airport Services and Amenities:

More than 170 general aviation aircraft are based at Mahlon Sweet Field,  transient/based aircraft tie-downs, and general aviation auto parking. Lane Community College Flight Technology department, Oregon Air and Space Museum and Oregon Wing Civil Air Patrol headquarters   We have one full service FBO (Flightcraft) limited FBO’s Friendly Air Service and Lawrence Air Service.

Special Events: N/A

As he approached the destination airport, the pilot placed the landing gear selector in the down position, but the gear initially did not extend. He reset the electric gear motor's circuit breaker and the gear extended. The pilot stated that he observed illumination of the landing gear's green position light, and believed that the gear was locked in the down position. The pilot made a normal touchdown, however, seconds later the gear collapsed. An examination of the landing gear extension system revealed it functioned properly when manually extended. Because of impact damage, the gear system could not be electrically operated during the examination. The reason for the gear's failure to fully extend to the locked down position was not determined.

At the time the pilot took off, the winds were variable in direction and blowing between five and ten knots. During the takeoff roll, liftoff, and initial climb, the aircraft performed normally, but as it reached tree-top level, the wind shifted to a tailwind, and the aircraft stopped climbing and began to sink. At the same time, the aircraft drifted toward the side of the 60-foot wide runway, and this resulted in the pilot having to turn twice in order to avoid trees growing near the side of the runway. During the second turn, the pilot failed to maintain an airspeed above stall speed, and therefore the aircraft stalled, rolled to the left, and descended into the house. No evidence of any problem with the engine or flight controls were found during the post-accident inspection of the aircraft, and the pilot stated that he felt the engine was running fine, and that there did not seem to be any problems with the flight controls. (Elmira)