# Galion Municipal Airport

Galion Municipal Airport (IATA: GQQ, ICAO: KGQQ, FAA LID: GQQ) is three miles northeast of Galion in Crawford County, Ohio. The FAA's National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2009–2013 classified it as a general aviation airport.
The airport is home to a chapter of the Experimental Aircraft Association, which hosts social and educational activities for its members. Some activities include Young Eagles rallies, fly-ins, building seminars, and more. The chapter hosts a regular All About Aviation Day, where visitors can meet pilots, instructors, and other personnel and see aircraft, drones, and RC Aircraft.

## History

Galion Municipal Airport had airline service in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. Fischer Brothers Aviation was an Allegheny Commuter based at Galion. They flew De Havilland Herons and Doves, and they bought the larger Casa 212 airplanes in the early 1980s.
The service was a very short, 5 minute flight to/from Mansfield (MFD), where they would continue on to Cleveland Hopkins (CLE). The airline continued to grow to Columbus (CMH), Detroit (DTW), and other Midwestern cities.
The airport received a $22,000 federal grant in 2021 to relieve costs for operations, personnel, cleaning, sanitization, debt services, and combating the spread of pathogens.
The airport also received a $1.35 million grant to maintain the structural integrity of its main runway.

## Facilities and aircraft

The airport covers 152 acres (62 ha) at an elevation of 1,224 feet (373 m). Its runway, designated as runway 5/23, measures 3,504 by 75 feet (1,068 x 23 m).
The airport has a fixed-base operator that provides fuel and limited amenities.
For the 12-month period ending September 1, 2021, the airport had 6,188 aircraft operations, an average of 119 per week. This was nearly 100% general aviation and <1% military. For the same time period, 13 aircraft were based at the airport, all single-engine airplanes.

## Accidents and incidents

* On November 8, 2009, a Cessna 150 crashed while practicing landings at Galion Municipal Airport. A student pilot performed two landings at the airport with a flight instructor aboard the airplane before the student pilot attempted a solo landing on runway 23. Upon touchdown during the solo flight, the airplane turned into the wind and veered off the left side of the runway where it struck a visual approach slope indicator. The probable cause of the accident was found to be the student pilot's failure to maintain directional control.
* On August 7, 2012, an experimental amateur-built Starduster Too SA300 was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain during climbout from an aborted landing at Galion Municipal Airport. The pilot stated that the purpose of the flight was to run the engine and to practice landings. During an approach to Galion, the descent to runway 23 was "a little fast," and the pilot added "a little power" on short final. After the airplane touched down, it turned "sharply" to the left. The pilot applied engine power to execute an aborted landing, during which the airplane was flying "slower" than he thought, and it would not climb. When the pilot lowered the nose to gain speed, the pilot saw that the airplane was heading further south than he thought and was heading for the airport hangars, so he turned the airplane left to avoid the hangars, but it was headed for a power line. The pilot attempted to use the remaining airspeed to climb over the power line, but the airplane stalled and impacted the ground. The probable cause of the accident was found to be the pilot's failure to maintain directional control and a proper pitch attitude and airspeed while performing an aborted landing.
* On February 13, 2014, a Cessna 150 landed in a field near Galion Municipal Airport after departure. The aircraft had just taken off when the engine lost power. The pilot attempted to land the plane in a field but hit a snow bank.
* On May 29, 2014, a Luscombe 8B crashed while landing at Galion Municipal Airport. The pilot performed a 3-point landing in the tailwheel-equipped airplane. At about 20 mph or less, the airplane swerved slightly left; the pilot corrected the swerve with the application of right rudder and brake. The pilot then reported that he added left brake to stop before turning onto a taxiway. The airplane's tail came up and the airplane nosed over, coming to rest inverted. The probable cause of the accident was found to be the pilot's misapplication of brakes after landing, which resulted in the airplane nosing over.
* On May 25, 2015, a Cessna 182 crashed during landing at the Galion Municipal Airport. During the final approach, the pilot reported encountering turbulence and wind gusts. As the airplane crossed the runway threshold, the indicated airspeed reduced to 65 miles per hour, the stall warning horn sounded, and the airplane stalled. The pilot pushed the nose forward to regain control, but the airplane impacted the runway hard causing substantial damage to the firewall. The probable cause of the accident was found to be the pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed on final approach, which resulted in an in-flight loss of control and hard landing.
* On August 6, 2018, a Tango XR experimental aircraft was damaged while landing at the Mansfield airport. The pilot reported that the airplane bounced multiple times while landing; when he applied engine power to go around, the left wing dropped, and the airplane "veered" left and dropped to the ground. The airplane touched down in the grass to the left of the runway, the nose landing gear collapsed, and the airplane nosed over. The probable cause of the accident was found to be the pilot’s exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack during a go-around, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.
* On September 9, 2022, a Eurcoupe 415 crashed after takeoff from Galion. The student pilot onboard reported a normal pre-departure engine runup and subsequently initiated a normal takeoff, which was uneventful. After coming airborne, however, the engine began to lose power after reaching 300 feet above the ground. The student lowered the nose to maintain 65 knots and tried to turn back towards the airport. After doing so, the engine lost complete power, and the student decided they were too high to land on the runway. The student overflew the airport in an attempt to land on a nearby road, but the aircraft hit a powerline pole, descended, and came to rest on the road. Postaccident examination of the engine following recovery of the airplane revealed an exhaust valve for one of the cylinders was stuck open.