Gambell Airport (IATA: GAM, ICAO: PAGM, FAA LID: GAM) is a public airport located in Gambell, a city in the Nome Census Area of the U.S. state of Alaska. The airport is owned by the state.[1]
Facilities
Gambell Airport covers an area of 200 acres (81 ha) which contains one asphalt and concrete paved runway (16/34) measuring 4,500 x 96 ft (1,372 x 29 m).[1]
Airlines and destinations
As of February 2025, Gambell Airport (IATA: GAM), located on St. Lawrence Island in Alaska, is served by Bering Air, which operates flights to the following destinations:
Nome (OME): Approximately 50 minutes flight time.
Savoonga (SVA): Approximately 15 minutes flight time.
These routes are currently the only scheduled passenger services available at Gambell Airport.
| Airlines | Destinations |
|---|---|
| Bering Air | Nome, Savoonga[2] |
Prior to its bankruptcy and cessation of all operations, Ravn Alaska served the airport from multiple locations.
History
Gambell Airport was used as a transport base during World War II as Gambell Army Airfield, facilitating the transit of Lend-Lease aircraft to the Soviet Union. It was also used by the USAAF as an emergency landing field for aircraft patrolling the west coast of Alaska.
On 27 February 1974, a Soviet Union An-24LR carrying a crew of three and ten scientists on an ice-reconnaissance mission landed at Gambell due to fuel exhaustion in bad weather, causing a minor Cold War incident. Villagers, mostly Yupik Native Americans, provided space heaters and food. A U.S. Air Force C-130 flew in a load of fuel bladders with JP-1 fuel from Anchorage to refuel the An-24, which departed at 7:30 pm. She dipped her wings in salute in a pass over the airfield, then returned to Soviet airspace.[3]
On 30 August 1975, Wien Air Alaska Flight 99, a Fairchild F-27B on approach to landing, crashed into Sevuokuk Mountain after multiple missed approaches, killing the pilot and co-pilot and eight others out of the 32 crew and passengers on board. The weather was a low ceiling with sea fog, and below approach minimums.[4]
See also
References
- ^ a b c FAA Airport Form 5010 for GAM PDF, effective 2007-07-05
- ^ Bering Air: Nome Flight Schedule Archived September 27, 2007, at the Wayback Machine (PDF). Retrieved 29-August-2007.
- ^ CAF Digest: February 26 - March 4, Commemorative Air Force.
- ^ NTSB Report on the Crash
External links
- FAA Alaska airport diagram (GIF)
- Resources for this airport:
- FAA airport information for GAM
- AirNav airport information for PAGM
- ASN accident history for GAM
- FlightAware airport information and live flight tracker
- NOAA/NWS latest weather observations for PAGM
- SkyVector aeronautical chart for GAM
