Brown Field
Encyclopedia
Brown Field Municipal Airport is located in the Otay Mesa neighborhood of San Diego, California
, 13 miles (20.9 km) southeast of Downtown San Diego and named in honor of Commander
Melville S. Brown, USN, who was killed in an airplane crash in 1936. Its primary runway is 7972 feet (2,429.9 m) long.
Its FAA/IATA airport code
of SDM probably comes from "San Diego Municipal". Formerly Naval Auxiliary Air Station Brown Field, it is now a civilian reliever airport and a port of entry
from Mexico
. It is sometimes staffed by the U.S. Customs Service, but only upon the request of incoming pilots
to the Federal Aviation Administration.
use.
at night).
On March 16, 1991, seven members of Reba McEntire
's band and her road manager were among 10 people who died in the crash of a plane that departed from Brown Field. The aircraft impacted terrain on Otay Mountain northeast of the airport.
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, 13 miles (20.9 km) southeast of Downtown San Diego and named in honor of Commander
Commander (United States)
In the United States, commander is a military rank that is also sometimes used as a military title, depending on the branch of service. It is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the military, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Naval rank:In the United States...
Melville S. Brown, USN, who was killed in an airplane crash in 1936. Its primary runway is 7972 feet (2,429.9 m) long.
Its FAA/IATA airport code
IATA airport code
An IATA airport code, also known an IATA location identifier, IATA station code or simply a location identifier, is a three-letter code designating many airports around the world, defined by the International Air Transport Association...
of SDM probably comes from "San Diego Municipal". Formerly Naval Auxiliary Air Station Brown Field, it is now a civilian reliever airport and a port of entry
Port of entry
In general, a port of entry is a place where one may lawfully enter a country. It typically has a staff of people who check passports and visas and inspect luggage to assure that contraband is not imported. International airports are usually ports of entry, as are road and rail crossings on a...
from Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
. It is sometimes staffed by the U.S. Customs Service, but only upon the request of incoming pilots
Aviator
An aviator is a person who flies an aircraft. The first recorded use of the term was in 1887, as a variation of 'aviation', from the Latin avis , coined in 1863 by G. de la Landelle in Aviation Ou Navigation Aérienne...
to the Federal Aviation Administration.
History
Brown Field first opened in 1918 as East Field, later becoming NAAS Otay Mesa and then NAAS Brown Field, both in 1943. NAAS Brown Field was an active U.S. Navy installation until 1962, after which it was closed and converted into a civilian airport for general aviationGeneral aviation
General aviation is one of the two categories of civil aviation. It refers to all flights other than military and scheduled airline and regular cargo flights, both private and commercial. General aviation flights range from gliders and powered parachutes to large, non-scheduled cargo jet flights...
use.
Neighboring facilities
Tijuana Airport, a commercial passenger facility, is just over 1 nmi (1.9 km) to the south, with a similar length and a slightly different runway orientation (09 / 27).Terrain
A precision approach is not possible to either runway end due to steep, rising terrain (elevation 3,600 feet) less than six miles (10 km) east of the airport. There have been several crashes due to pilots not maintaining sufficient altitude over these nearby mountains (often flying VFRVisual flight rules
Visual flight rules are a set of regulations which allow a pilot to operate an aircraft in weather conditions generally clear enough to allow the pilot to see where the aircraft is going. Specifically, the weather must be better than basic VFR weather minimums, as specified in the rules of the...
at night).
On March 16, 1991, seven members of Reba McEntire
Reba McEntire
Reba Nell McEntire is an American country music artist and actress. She began her career in the music industry as a high school student singing in the Kiowa High School band , on local radio shows with her siblings, and at rodeos. As a solo act, she was invited to perform at a rodeo in Oklahoma...
's band and her road manager were among 10 people who died in the crash of a plane that departed from Brown Field. The aircraft impacted terrain on Otay Mountain northeast of the airport.