63. Catalina Airport – California, USA
Year of construction: 1946
Risk factors: Very bumpy landing, narrow landing strip, rainy weather
Unlike a lot of the airports on this list, Catalina Airport is privately owned. There is a $35 landing fee to land at the Avalon, California airport, but you might want to think twice if you choose to land there. Catalina is known for its very bumpy landings, and the area itself is prone to rain. The rain can have deadly consequences if pilots are inexperienced.
Catalina Airport – California, USA @rinaldop / Pinterest.com
In 2009, three people were killed in a plane crash by a pilot who wasn’t qualified to handle charter flights. The plane crashed in the rain, landing on a Catalina Island hilltop. Poor visibility and rain were “probable factors” in the crash. That, combined with the airport’s small, narrow landing strip, can be a bad mix.