# Newark–Heath Airport

40°01′29″N 082°27′43″W﻿ / ﻿40.02472°N 82.46194°W﻿ / 40.02472; -82.46194 Newark–Heath Airport (ICAO: KVTA, FAA LID: VTA) is a public airport located in Heath, Ohio. It is three miles (4.8 km) southwest of the central business district of Newark, a city in Licking County, Ohio, United States. The airport was opened in 1930 by the city of Newark, and was transferred to the Licking County Regional Airport Authority in 1967. The airport currently has a McDonnell Douglas F-4C Phantom II S.N. 64–0683 on static display.
Although most U.S. airports use the same three-letter location identifier for the FAA and IATA, Newark–Heath Airport is assigned VTA by the FAA but has no designation from the IATA.
Newark–Heath Airport is home to Chapter 402 of the Experimental Aircraft Association.

## Facilities and aircraft
### Facilities

Newark–Heath Airport covers an area of 140 acres (57 ha) which contains one asphalt paved runway (9/27) measuring 4,649 ft × 75 ft (1,417 m × 23 m).
Newark–Heath Airport's fixed-base operator, Aviation Works Inc, is owned by George H. Fackler III. Aviation Works offers hangar rental, aircraft rental, and flight training. Aviation Works also offers full service and self-serve refueling with Jet-A and 100LL fuel. Their operating hours are normally 0800-1800 EST. Innovative Aviation Technologies provides service as a maintenance shop on the field, specializing in Cessna Conquests.
In 2019, the airport's taxiway was moved because the Federal Aviation Administration declared it was too close to the runway.
In 2022, the airport received a $1.8 million grant to build a new terminal. The grant program provides funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act for terminal, on-airport rail access, and airport-owned airport traffic control tower projects.
In June 2023, the new terminal was opened.

### Aircraft

For the 12-month period ending December 21, 2022, the airport had 9,210 aircraft operations, an average of 25 per day: 98% general aviation, 1% military and <1% air taxi. For the same time period, 70 aircraft were based at the airport: 63 single-engine and 6 multi-engine airplanes as well as 1 jet.

## Accidents and incidents

* On March 1, 2001, a Cessna 210 Centurion was substantially damaged during landing at the Newark-Heath Airport. The pilot reported turbulence on his initial approach into Newark and that he subsequently could not get the airplane to climb. The airplane descended faster than normal during the rest of the approach, and the pilot needed significant power to level the plane off before contacting trees on the final approach. During the roundout for landing, the pilot could not get the yoke to come far enough back to land, so the aircraft hit the runway hard on the nose wheel. The aircraft porpoised and bounced into the air multiple times; the engine did not respond to power adjustments the pilot made in an attempt to soften subsequent blows. The aircraft eventually came to rest on grass off the side of the runway. A flight control continuity check performed by an FAA inspector revealed that the control column could only be deflected aft to the "level flight" position; however, full control movement was established after the inspector removed the aircraft's horizontal situational indicator. The probable cause of the accident was found to be improper maintenance, which resulted in the failure of the instrument panel shock mounts.
* On April 20, 2001, a Piper PA-31 Navajo sustained damage while taxing at Newark-Heath Airport. The pilot reported that, while taxiing to the ramp area after landing, a fire was observed in the left engine. The pilot secured the engine, and then he and the passenger evacuated the airplane. Witnesses extinguished the fire with a handheld fire extinguisher. The probable cause of the accident was found to be the company maintenance personnel's failure to comply with the service bulletin, which resulted in a fuel boost pump leakage and subsequent fire during taxi. A factor was the manufacturer's confusing service bulletin.
* On August 17, 2001, a Cessna 152 was substantially damaged during landing at the Newark-Heath Airport. The student pilot flying the aircraft said the airplane was approximately 10 to 20 feet above the runway when it encountered a "large gust from the left side" and the left wing dipped. He applied full power, and leveled the wings with the intention of performing a go-around; however, the airplane contacted the runway and bounced. The student pilot pulled back on the control wheel to climb, but the airplane nosed over onto the runway. The probable cause of the accident was found to be the student pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control during an aborted landing.
* On January 12, 2008, an amateur-built gyrocopter experienced a hard landing at the Newark-Heath Airport. The CFI was demonstrating a ballooned landing when the accident occurred. He intentionally flared the gyroplane "too high" at an altitude of 10 feet above the runway. The CFI stated the student quickly corrected so he added a "little more flare," overlooking that the gyrocopter had already begun to settle. The gyrocopter then descended vertically making hard contact with the runway. The left landing gear axle separated and the gyrocopter rolled onto its left side. The probable cause of the accident was found to be the CFI's failure to maintain control of the gyrocopter, which resulted in settling with power and the subsequent hard landing.
* On March 5, 2010, a Cessna 172 Skyhawk crashed while taking off from the Newark–Heath Airport. The student pilot was nose-high during a soft-field takeoff and did not detect that the airplane drifted toward the edge of the runway. The airplane's left main landing gear impacted a snowbank off the runway's prepared surface and the airplane nosed over. The probable cause of the accident was found to be the pilot's failure to maintain directional control during takeoff.
* On August 25, 2011, a plane crashed just after takeoff from the Newark–Heath airport. The aircraft reportedly veered south while climbing away from the runway when it clipped two trees and crashed into a home's back yard.
* On June 29, 2012, a Cessna 182 Skylane crashed while taxiing at the Newark–Heath airport. While on approach to the airport, the pilot saw a weather front approaching rapidly from the northwest. The pilot reported that the wind buffeted the airplane throughout the approach and landing. After landing the aircraft normally, the pilot taxied the airplane from the runway; however, during a turn, the airplane’s tail lifted up. The left wing and nosecone impacted the taxiway, and the airplane nosed over, coming to rest in the inverted position.
* On August 10, 2019, a small plane crashed at the airport.
* On February 1, 2022, a Cessna 182 Skylane crashed after takeoff from the Newark–Heath airport. According to troopers, the plane crashed into trees and a guard rail before sliding down a hill. The cause of the accident is under investigation.