Licking County Regional Airport

40°01′29″N 082°27′43″W / 40.02472°N 82.46194°W / 40.02472; -82.46194 Licking County Regional Airport – Treneff Field^[2] (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.^[3]

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.^[4]

Newark–Heath Airport is home to Chapter 402 of the Experimental Aircraft Association.^[5]

The airport was named Newark City Airport in October 1941 and renamed Walters Field in May 1942.^[6][7]

By early December 1955, an 648-square-foot (60.2 m²) administration building was under construction at the airport.^[8]

It was suggested that the facility be renamed the Licking County Airport in late August 1966.^[9] The nearby Heath Refinery announced it would donate 24 acres (9.7 ha) to the airport in late October.^[10] Construction on the project began in late July 1967.^[11] Plans called for a new 4,400 ft (1,300 m) runway to be built adjacent to the existing runway, which would become a taxiway. An earthen mound was also constructed at the east end of the runway to serve as a sound barrier.^[12][13] However, less than two weeks later a temporary restraining order was placed on construction.^[14] Then, on the night of August 6th, construction equipment being used for the project was vandalized.^[15] The City of Heath attempted to obtain an injunction to stop the expansion of the airport in September 1967, but the effort was rejected by a judge.^[16] In mid April 1968, the airport authority requested the ability to acquire 51 acres (21 ha) acres that it was leasing from the City of Newark to build the new runway.^[17] Although the first jet landed at the airport in mid May, the new runway was not dedicated until 22 September 1968.^[18][19]

Construction on a 4,800-square-foot (450 m²) hangar had begun by late January 1970.^[20] By mid September, paving of taxiways and a 86,000-square-foot (8,000 m²) ramp was almost complete.^[21][22] A new terminal was being built by late August 1973.^[23]

The subtitle Treneff Field was added to the airport's name in tribute to former airport authority president Terry Treneff in April 2018. At the same time, the terminal was named for former board member John Haines.^[24]

A new terminal was built at the airport in 2024, as the repositioning of a taxiway in 2019 brought it too close to the building.^[25] By October, its name had been changed from Newark–Heath Airport to Licking County Regional Airport.^[26]

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.^[27][28] 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.^[29][30]

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.

A McDonnell F-4C Phantom II, 64-0683, is on static display at the airport.^[31]

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.^[1] For the same time period, 70 aircraft were based at the airport: 63 single-engine and six multi-engine airplanes, as well as one jet.^[32]

• 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.^[33]
• On April 20, 2001, a Piper PA-31 Navajo sustained damage while taxiing 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.^[34]
• 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.^[35]
• 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.^[36][37]
• 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.^[38][39]
• 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.^[40]
• 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.^[41][42]
• On August 10, 2019, a small plane crashed at the airport.^[43]
• 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.^[44]

• List of airports in Ohio

• Resources for this airport:
  • FAA airport information for VTA
  • AirNav airport information for KVTA
  • FlightAware airport information and live flight tracker
  • NOAA/NWS weather observations: current, past three days
  • SkyVector aeronautical chart, Terminal Procedures