A China Air cargo Boeing 777 diverted to the King Salmon Airport on Friday morning due to worsening weather conditions that battered Western Alaska. The Alaska Department of Transportation, which operates the airport, said the runway was barely wide enough for the plane to turn around and get positioned for refueling.
Floyd Wilson, the King Salmon Airport foreman, was able to assist the pilots in making sure the enormous aircraft’s rear tires didn’t stray from the paved surface, “which could have resulted in a sticky situation,” DOT said.
King Salmon is Bristol Bay Borough, about 284 miles southwest of Anchorage. The airport has a 2,713-meter and a 1,224-meter runway. Generally a cargo plane like the Triple 7, depending on weight, may need in the range of 3,540 meters for takeoff and 1,860 meters for landing.
