Destin Executive Airport

Destin Executive Airport (IATA: DSI, ICAO: KDTS, FAA LID: DTS),[3] also known as Coleman Kelly Field,[4] is a public use airport owned by and located in Okaloosa County, Florida.[2] The airport is one nautical mile (2 km) east of the central business district of Destin, Florida.[2] It is included in the National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2017–2021, which categorized it as a general aviation facility.[5]

Not to be confused with Destin–Fort Walton Beach Airport.
Destin Executive Airport

Coleman Kelly Field
Summary
Airport typePublic
OwnerOkaloosa County
ServesDestin, Florida
Hub forSouthern Airways Express[1]
Elevation AMSL22 ft / 7 m
Coordinates30°24′00″N 086°28′17″W
Websitewww.FlyDTS.com
Map
DTS
Location of airport in Florida
DTS
DTS (the United States)
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
14/32 5,001 1,524 Asphalt
Statistics
Aircraft operations (2018)63,000
Based aircraft (2020)65
Departing passengers (12 months ending September 2019)640

Although many U.S. airports use the same three-letter location identifier for the FAA and IATA, this airport is assigned DTS by the FAA[2] and DSI by the IATA.[3] The airport's ICAO identifier is KDTS.[6] Due to its close proximity to Eglin Air Force Base and the high levels of military flight activity, all flights to or from Destin Executive Airport must adhere to "special air traffic rules" and obtain ATC clearance before entering the Eglin/Valparaiso terminal area.[7] The Destin Executive Airport (DTS) is an independent general flight office possessed and worked by Okaloosa Area and isn't reliant on ad valorem charges.[8]

History

The first landing at the airport occurred on October 13, 1961. Lucius Burch of Memphis, Tennessee, and two passengers came for a weekend of fishing. Formerly, he had to land in Crestview, Florida, which Burch described as a "terrible nuisance". The field was being clayed by the county at the request of the Okaloosa Airport and Industrial Authority.[9]

Frank D. Duckett of Shalimar, Florida, announced that he had opened the area's first air charter service at a Playground Chamber of Commerce meeting on Dec. 8, 1961. Duckett said that the 2,000-foot runway in Destin was being hard surfaced, lights were being installed and that fuel and maintenance service would be available. He was arranging for rental cars to be parked at the airport for incoming planes. The service offered a Tri-Pacer 135, four seat aircraft, with other types of aircraft available based on the customer's needs. Duckett said that the rates for the Tri-Pacer would be 5.5 cents per mile, per person, based on a full load of four persons.[10]

Facilities and aircraft

Destin Executive Airport covers an area of 395 acres (160 ha) at an elevation of 22 feet (7 m) above mean sea level. It has one runway designated 14/32 with an asphalt surface measuring 5,001 by 100 ft (1,524 by 30 m).[2]

For the 12-month period ending March 6, 2018, the airport had 63,000 aircraft operations, an average of 173 per day: 99% general aviation, 1% air taxi and less than 1% military. In January 2020, there were 65 aircraft based at this airport: 36 single-engine, 15 multi-engine, 11 jet and 3 helicopter.[2]

Airlines and destinations

Airlines offering scheduled passenger service to non-stop destinations:

AirlinesDestinations
Southern Airways ExpressMemphis, Tampa[11]

Incidents

The first fatal aircraft accident recorded at the Destin Executive Airport occurred on February 16, 1975, when a Cessna 210 with three people on board crashed shortly after a 0100 hrs. departure from the facility, the single-engined propeller cabin monoplane coming down one quarter mile from the runway in an area platted for the future Kelly Estates subdivision. All three were killed, the airframe burning completely with bodies burnt beyond recognition. Officials said that the plane was flying under a 200-foot ceiling with poor visibility. No flight plan had been filed.[12] An investigator of the Federal Aviation Administration stated that there was no immediate evidence of mechanical failure.[13]

On April 17, 1983, a Beechcraft Bonanza clipped power lines and crashed south of the airport and knocked out power to most of Destin for hours. The pilot and passenger survived.

On December 24, 1987, a Cessna 150 attempting a landing at Destin Executive Airport was caught by the sudden onset of fog as it circled to land which cut visibility to nothing. The plane struck the 19th floor of the Hidden Dunes Resort, becoming lodged in the wall of unit 1901 by the fuselage and landing gear. The 39-year old pilot was seriously injured and his 31-year-old female passenger died on site from injuries from the impact. There was no fire. The pilot was pulled into the building through a window on the 18th floor. "A National Transportation Safety Board investigation later found [the pilot] to be at fault for the crash, having planned poorly by not accounting for the fog that was in the area and not being rated to fly in conditions that required instruments to navigate."[14][15]

See also

References
  1. http://triblive.com/news/adminpage/11042513-74/pittsburgh-service-airport
  2. FAA Airport Form 5010 for DTS PDF. Federal Aviation Administration. effective January 2, 2020.
  3. "IATA Airport Code Search (DSI: Destin)". International Air Transport Association. Retrieved August 13, 2013.
  4. "Destin Executive Airport / Coleman Kelly Field". Official site. Okaloosa County Airports System. Retrieved August 13, 2013.
  5. "2011–2015 NPIAS Report, Appendix A" (PDF). National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems. Federal Aviation Administration. October 4, 2010. Archived from the original (PDF, 2.03 MB) on 2012-09-27.
  6. "Destin–Fort Walton Beach Airport (IATA: DSI, ICAO: KDTS, FAA; DTS)". Great Circle Mapper. Retrieved August 13, 2013.
  7. "ALC-47: Destin/Eglin AFB FL Part 93 Operations". FAA. Retrieved May 13, 2013.
  8. https://destinflorida.com/journal/which-airport-do-i-use-when-flying-to-destin
  9. Playground News, "1st Plane Sets Down in Destin," Oct. 17, 1961, p. 1.
  10. Playground News, "Destin Offers Charter Flights," Dec. 11, 1961, p. 1.
  11. https://www.bizjournals.com/tampabay/news/2019/04/10/airline-to-offer-direct-flights-from-tampa-to.html
  12. Fort Walton Beach, Florida. "Plane Crashes at Destin After Takeoff; 3 Killed: First Fatal Crash at Destin–FWB Airport". Playground Daily News. February 17, 1975. Volume 30, Number 9, page 1A.
  13. Fort Walton Beach, Florida. "FAA Probes Fatal Destin Air Crash". Playground Daily News. February 18, 1975. Volume 30, Number 10, page 1.
  14. Blanks, Annie, "Remembering the Christmas Eve plane crash of 1987", Northwest Florida Daily News, Fort Walton Beach, Florida, Sunday 18 December 2016.
  15. http://www.nwfdailynews.com/news/20161218/remembering-christmas-eve-plane-crash-of-1987
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