Airplane Was Damaged After Hitting The Hole Last Year

The Packwood, WA airport (55S) has been closed since an accident in October of last year in which a homebuilt airplane hit a sinkhole in the runway.

Both the runway and the airplane are still under repair.

The local newspaper The Chronicle reports that Larry Mason, airport systems manager for the Packwood Airport, says that the field should remain closed until planned upgrades are completed.

Mason said that the sinkholes were caused by stumps that were paved over when the airport was first constructed in 1948. Now, those stumps are rotting away, and that leaves voids under the pavement. The largest sinkhole, he said, was 3 feet in diameter and 18 inches deep.

A multi-million dollar project to rebuild the runway is expected to begin this summer, with 90 percent of the funding coming from the FAA's AIP program. Mason says the old runway will be completely removed and the asphalt recycled, then two inches of new asphalt will be laid over the recycled material. He said once completed, it should be in good condition for 25 to 30 years.

The Washington State DOT and Lewis County will each contribute five percent of the funding for the project.

FMI: http://lewiscountywa.gov/airports