Cameras Help GA Pilots Avoid Flooded Runway at Coastal Oregon Airport

Pilots at Pacific City State Airport (KPFC) in Oregon—a facility located along the coastline about 15 miles southwest of Tillamook and between two rivers—are turning to remote cameras to help win the battle.

According to David Inman, vice chairman of the Friends of Pacific City State Airport, when the conditions are just right, such as when there are extremely high "king" tides and the Nestucca and Little Nestucca rivers are running high because of heavy rain, the runway disappears. 

KPFC has one runway aligned 14/32 that measures 1,860 by 30 feet. The airport occupies 15 acres and is 5 feet above sea level. There is a 300-foot displaced threshold when landing on Runway 14, and pilots are cautioned to stay on the pavement as the edges are soft ground. There is also wildlife, such as deer and waterfowl, in the area.

Operations at the airport can be challenging, according to Inman, so a few years ago the nonprofit organization and the Oregon Department of Aviation (ODA) partnered to install and activate remote cameras to give pilots a real-time look at the runway conditions before they make the flight to the coast.

"The ODA mounted a camera on a privately owned hangar," Inman said. "The owner is a member of the Friends of Pacific City State Airport. The other camera is mounted on a sign post at the south end of the airport. The cameras are viewable on our website." 

The cameras may have saved a pilot or two from becoming a submarine commander, Inman said. 

"Because the airport is located at the confluence of two rivers and the ocean, about three times a winter when we get the king tides the runway will flood," he said. "Being that we are on the Oregon coast, it rains hard, and sometimes for an extended amount of time. When the king tides happen, we can get water on the runway that is three feet deep."

It is particularly dangerous when there is no discernable current, Inman said.

"Sometimes when the water is still you can see the painted lines on the runway perfectly,” he said. “There is the worry that someone will try to land not realizing the runway they are seeing is several feet under water."

In addition to the remote cameras, the Friends of Pacific City State Airport and the ODA take care to warn visiting pilots about potential hazards at the airport by publishing information online.

On the airport's Airnav.com page, a warning states that "runway may be underwater during high tides," along with a warning about driftwood being deposited on the runway in such instances.

Thus far, the pavement of the runway is holding up well, Inman said. The cameras are used after the storms to assess the condition of the runway, helping organize work parties to remove items deposited by the flood waters.

"If there are logs and driftwood, we know to bring chainsaws and heavy equipment,” he said. “Our group is made up of 20 to 50 volunteers from all walks of life, including engineers and loggers and guys that do landscaping and run heavy equipment. We know what to do and break into groups and get it done."