Mys Shmidta Airport

Mys Shmidta Airport

Аэропорт Мыс Шмидта
Mys Shmidta Airport; Аэропорт Мыс Шмидта
	IATA: none; ICAO: UHMI; LID: МШД;
Summary
Airport type	Public
Operator	Chukotavia
Location	Mys Shmidta, Shmidtovsky District, Chukotka, Russia
Elevation AMSL	20 ft / 6 m
Coordinates	68°52′06″N 179°22′32″W / 68.86833°N 179.37556°W
Map
	Mys Shmidta Location of airport in Chukotka
Runways
	Source:

Mys Shmidta Airport (Russian: Аэропорт Мыс Шмидта) (ICAO: UHMI), also known as Cape Shmidt Airport, is a former military airbase in the Iultinsky District of Chukotka, Russia. It is located 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) southeast of Mys Shmidta. It is a major airfield with a 2,450 by 60 metres (8,038 ft × 197 ft) concrete tarmac. It was built in 1954^[2] as an Arctic staging base for intercontinental bomber flights, with caretaker services provided by OGA (Arctic Control Group). The gravel overrun suggests that the runway was to eventually be extended to 3000 m. Unlike airports such as the Provideniya Bay Airport, which has always been a civilian airport, or the Iultin Airport, which was constructed specifically to serve the needs of the remote mine nearby, the Mys Shmidta airport was initially part of the ring of forward staging bases used by the Arctic Control Group (OGA) prior to intercontinental ballistic missiles gaining favour as the primary means of long-range defense.^[3]

Accidents

On July 6, 1989, 4 minutes after takeoff from the Cape Shmidt airfield, the engines on the Il-14 ice reconnaissance aircraft failed; Due to a forced landing on the water surface of the lagoon, the plane was seriously damaged. The crew members escaped with minor injuries.^[4]
On February 1, 1995, during a landing approach, due to a piloting error, an An-28 aircraft made a rough landing 15 meters before the end of the runway. After the impact, the plane separated from the ground and landed a second time at a distance of 20 meters from the beginning of the runway. The plane stopped at a distance of 225 meters from the end of the runway. As a result, the plane was seriously damaged. There were no fatalities.^[5]

Airlines and Destinations

Airlines	Destinations
Chukotavia	Anadyr, Egvekinot, Pevek

Gallery

Mys Shmidta Airport, 1960. The first recovered image from the Corona spy satellite (North is roughly toward the bottom of the picture).
Ilyushin 18c taking off from Cape Schmidt Airport.