Samedan Airport
Encyclopedia
Samedan Airport , also known as Engadin Airport, is a regional airport in Samedan
in the Engadin
valley of Switzerland
, just 5 km from St. Moritz
.
At an elevation of 1,707 metres (5,600 ft) it is one of the highest airport
s in Europe (after Courchevel
). It is also considered one of the most challenging airports in the world because of its difficult topography and winds, and because of the thinness of the air at this altitude.
pavement measuring 1800 x 40 metres (5905 x 130 ft). Because of its location at the bottom of a valley, it is not equipped with an instrument landing system
.
Samedan
Samedan is a town and municipality in the district of Maloja in the Swiss canton of Graubünden.-History:Samedan is first mentioned in 1139 as Samaden. In 1334 it was mentioned as Semeden, in 1367 as Semaden, in 1498 as Sumada and in 1527 as Sameden...
in the Engadin
Engadin
The Engadin or Engadine is a long valley in the Swiss Alps located in the canton of Graubünden in southeast Switzerland. It follows the route of the Inn River from its headwaters at Maloja Pass running northeast until the Inn flows into Austria one hundred kilometers downstream...
valley of Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, just 5 km from St. Moritz
St. Moritz
St. Moritz is a resort town in the Engadine valley in Switzerland. It is a municipality in the district of Maloja in the Swiss canton of Graubünden...
.
At an elevation of 1,707 metres (5,600 ft) it is one of the highest airport
Airport
An airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...
s in Europe (after Courchevel
Courchevel Airport
Courchevel Airport is a French airport that serves Courchevel, a ski area. The airport has a very short runway of only 525 metres with gradient of 18.5 %. There is no go-around procedure in this airport...
). It is also considered one of the most challenging airports in the world because of its difficult topography and winds, and because of the thinness of the air at this altitude.
Facilities
The airport has one runway designated 03/21 with an asphaltAsphalt
Asphalt or , also known as bitumen, is a sticky, black and highly viscous liquid or semi-solid that is present in most crude petroleums and in some natural deposits, it is a substance classed as a pitch...
pavement measuring 1800 x 40 metres (5905 x 130 ft). Because of its location at the bottom of a valley, it is not equipped with an instrument landing system
Instrument Landing System
An instrument landing system is a ground-based instrument approach system that provides precision guidance to an aircraft approaching and landing on a runway, using a combination of radio signals and, in many cases, high-intensity lighting arrays to enable a safe landing during instrument...
.
Accidents
- On 7 February 2009, a Global Express aircraft arriving from WarsawWarsawWarsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
overshot the end of the runway and plowed into snow. The aircraft was damaged but no injuries were reported.
- On 12 February 2009, a Falcon 10 aircraft from ViennaViennaVienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
crashed during landing after a wing contacted a snow wall at the edge of the runway. The pilot and co-pilot were killed, and the single passenger onboard was seriously injured.
- On 19 December 2010, a Beechcraft Premier One owned by Windrose AirWindrose AirWindrose Air is an airline based in Schönefeld, Germany operating business and private charter services, cargo and air ambulance services. It operates from Berlin-Schönefeld International Airport, Leipzig and Poznań-Ławica.-Fleet:...
crashed on approach to the airport from ZagrebZagrebZagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...
. The pilot and co-pilot, the only people on board, were both killed.