Presidente Médici International Airport

Presidente Médici International Airport, formerly (IATA: RBR), was the airport that served Rio Branco, Brazil until 1999, when Plácido de Castro International Airport was opened. On that very occasion the airport was closed.

Presidente Médici International Airport

Aeroporto Internacional Presidente Médici
Summary
Airport typePublic/Military
ServesRio Branco
Coordinates09°59′31″S 067°48′17″W
Map
X
Location in Brazil
Largely demolished, no longer operational.

History

Pres. Médici International Airport was the first airport of Rio Branco, Brazil. Because of its proximity to the urban center and a legal dispute concerning ownership of the land where it was located, the airport was closed on November 22, 1999, when Plácido de Castro International Airport was opened at a different location.

Today the former runway is used as an avenue and at one of its ends is located the main football stadium of Rio Branco, called Arena da Floresta. The former passenger terminal and control tower still exist, albeit abandoned.

The following airlines once served the airport: Cruzeiro do Sul, Panair do Brasil, Varig, VASP

Accidents and incidents
  • September 28, 1971: a Cruzeiro do Sul Douglas DC-3 A-414A registration PP-CBV crashed after take-off from Sena Madureira bound to Rio Branco. The aircraft suffered an engine failure at climb-out. The pilot tried to return to the airport but because the turn was done at very low altitude, the right wing struck trees causing the aircraft to crash. All 32 passengers and crew died.[1][2]

Access

The airport was located 2 km (1 mi) south of downtown Rio Branco.

References
  1. "Accident description PP-CBV". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved November 23, 2011.
  2. Germano da Silva, Carlos Ari César (2008). "América do Sul". O rastro da bruxa: história da aviação comercial brasileira no século XX através dos seus acidentes 1928-1996 (in Portuguese) (2 ed.). Porto Alegre: EDIPUCRS. pp. 269–272. ISBN 978-85-7430-760-2.
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