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KRCA · Ellsworth Air Force Base

ICAO · US · 1 NTSB events

ID KRCA FAA RCA Elev 3,276 ft Lat 44° 8.70' N Lon 103° 6.24' W Zulu …

Live conditions

METAR

fetching…

Wind / Visibility

—

Density altitude (now)

—

Decode in METAR tool TAF on AWC ↗ NOTAMs ↗

Aerial view

No FAA diagram published

Imagery © Esri, Maxar, Earthstar Geographics, USDA FSA

Runways

2 runway ends on file. Longest: 13,497 ft. Max gradient: 0.72%

Designator Heading Length Width Surface Lighting Gradient
13 138° 13,497 ft 300 ft Concrete Yes 0.72%
31 318° 13,497 ft 300 ft Concrete Yes 0.72%

Lengths + headings: in-app airport database. Surface, width, lighting: OurAirports. Gradient: derived from FAA NASR runway-end elevations (NASR's RWY_GRAD field is empty in 99.99% of rows).

Communications · 7 frequencies

  • ATIS ATIS 120.625
  • GND GND 121.800
  • TWR TWR 126.050
  • A/D APP/DEP 119.500
  • PMSV PMSV METRO 37.577
  • POST COMD POST 132.100
  • PTD PTD 37.220

Live ATC audio (streaming + archived): Open KRCA on LiveATC ↗

  • TACAN RCA

    Ellsworth

    108.80 MHz · DME 108.80 · BOTH · MEDIUM

  • VORTAC RAP

    Rapid City

    112.30 MHz · DME 112.30 · BOTH · HIGH

Chart Supplement remarks, plain English · cycle 22JAN2026 · 5 matched · 60 not yet translated

Translations anchored to the FAA text; the raw FAA text is authoritative.

TL;DR

  • ·Wildlife on or near runways. Vigilant scan during taxi, takeoff, and landing roll. Birds also reported in the area.
  • ·Prior Permission Required for min 24 hr notice,. Contact D before operating.
  • ·Wildlife on or near runways. Vigilant scan during taxi, takeoff, and landing roll. Birds also reported in the area.

Watch for

  • Wildlife on or near runways. Vigilant scan during taxi, takeoff, and landing roll. Birds also reported in the area.

    wildlife hazard

  • Prior Permission Required for min 24 hr notice,. Contact D before operating.

    ppr required

  • Wildlife on or near runways. Vigilant scan during taxi, takeoff, and landing roll. Birds also reported in the area.

    wildlife hazard

  • Pilot-controlled lighting: click mic 7 times on the CTAF to activate PAPI Rwy 13 & 31; MIRL Rwy 13–31. Lights stay on 15 minutes — click again to refresh.

    pcl ctaf

  • Wildlife on or near runways. Vigilant scan during taxi, takeoff, and landing roll. Birds also reported in the area.

    wildlife hazard

All translated remarks (5)

  • Wildlife on or near runways. Vigilant scan during taxi, takeoff, and landing roll. Birds also reported in the area.

    Raw FAA text · military remarks · operational

    Migratory bird act BASH (Phase II) May and Aug–Oct or active via NOTAM. Deer haz, rpt any act to twr/PTD.

  • Prior Permission Required for min 24 hr notice,. Contact D before operating.

    Raw FAA text · military remarks · operational

    PPR min 24 hr notice, ctc D

  • Wildlife on or near runways. Vigilant scan during taxi, takeoff, and landing roll. Birds also reported in the area.

    Raw FAA text · airport remarks · operational

    Wildlife on and invof arpt.

  • Pilot-controlled lighting: click mic 7 times on the CTAF to activate PAPI Rwy 13 & 31; MIRL Rwy 13–31. Lights stay on 15 minutes — click again to refresh.

    Raw FAA text · service · operational

    ACTVT PAPI Rwy 13 & 31; MIRL Rwy 13–31—CTAF

  • Wildlife on or near runways. Vigilant scan during taxi, takeoff, and landing roll. Birds also reported in the area.

    Raw FAA text · airport remarks · operational

    Wildlife on and invof arpt.

Not yet translated · raw FAA text (60 sentences)
  • ·370 SOUTH DAKOTA ELLSWORTH AFB (RCA)(KRCA) AF 5 SW UTC–7(–6DT) N44º08.71´ W103º06.21´ 3276 B TPA—See Remarks NOTAM FILE RAP Not insp.
  • ·RWY 13–31: H13497X300 (CONC) PCN 73 R/C/W/T HIRL RWY 13: ALSF (NSTD) PAPI(P4L)—GA 3.0º TCH 50´.
  • ·PAPI(P4L)—GA 3.0º TCH 54´.
  • ·S4 OX 2 MILITARY—LGT Arpt lgt avbl dur twr hr.
  • ·Rwy 13 NSTD ALSF—1, missing last cntrln barrette prior to thld.
  • ·JASU (AM32A–95) (A/M32A–86) FUEL A++.
  • ·Hot refuel avbl to B–1 and EA–18 acft only.
  • ·OIL O–132–133–148 TRAN ALERT Svc unavbl.
  • ·: Afld clsd due to const on Rwy 13–31.
  • ·Alfd mgmt avbl 1430–2300Z‡ excldg wknds, hol & Global Strike Command (GSC) down days.
  • ·See Flip AP/1 Supplementary Arpt Information.
  • ·RSTD All acft maintain at or abv 7700´ and 2640´ horizontal separation in the immediate vicinity of Mt.
  • ·Rushmore, avoid Devils Twr by 5 NM.
  • ·Aircrew should avoid Bear Butte, defined by the RCA 317/25 Fix, by flying no lower than 10,000´ MSL within 2NM.
  • ·Verify Powder River training complex status before filing IFR FPL via special use airspace site: https://sua.faa.gov/sua.
  • ·Mil acft opr from Ellsworth AFB will avoid Bear Butte by 2 NM and fly no lower than 10000´ MSL to max extent possible.
  • ·CAUTION Extensive general aviation and commercial tfc in vicinity of Rapid City arpt 6.5 NM southeast of arpt.
  • ·When on visual apch to Rwy 31 exercise extreme caution for civil high intensity parking lot lgt located 6600´ from end of rwy and in line with apch lgt system.
  • ·TFC PAT TPA—Rectangular 4500 (1224), overhead 5000 (1724).
  • ·Avoid over flight of base proper when circling to ldg.
  • ·DOD acft only, avbl with 24 hr notice.
  • ·IMG svc unavbl for non–DOD personnel.
  • ·Ctc 28 OSS/OSAA, DSN 675–1052/2860, C605–385–1052/2860.
  • ·MISC WX stn augments for vis at or below 3 SM when needed.
  • ·Vis ltd NE to SE due to bldgs.
  • ·Rwy 31 FMQ–19 lightning sensor inaccurate, ctc 28 Wx DSN 385–1042 for info.
  • ·Rwy 13–31 RVR eqpt unsvc.
  • ·Inbound VIP Code 7 or higher, ctc Raymond 33 15 min prior to block time with name, rank and purpose of visit.
  • ·Wx stn avbl 1430–2300Z‡ excldn wknd/hol/AFGSC fam days; ctc Comd Post DSN 675–3800 for Wx patch.
  • ·Global Strike Comd RSRS applied to Global Strike Comd only.

+ 30 more sentences · see Chart Supplement page below for the full text

Field profile

Use

Private

Ownership

Military / Army

Scheduled service

No

Tags

28th Bomb Wing

Source: OurAirports community

IATA · RCA Airport website ↗

FAA Chart Supplement

NTSB events

1 NTSB-recorded event on file at this airport .

Last 10 years · n=0

No NTSB events at this field in the last decade.

All time · n=1

  • Controlled flight into terrain 1

Categories rule-matched from NTSB findings and probable-cause text. "Other" = not enough agency text to classify.

Date Aircraft · Classification · Wx Sev
2016-07-07 AIRBUS INDUSTRIE A320 211 · CFIT · VMC · dusk →

NASA ASRS reports · 1 de-identified report in the public ASRS Database Report Sets

Voluntary first-person accounts; they represent the reporter's perspective and cannot infer prevalence.

Designees in SD

CFI Flight Instructors 301 A&P Mechanics 597 AME Medical Examiners (AME) 12 DME Mechanic Examiners (DME) 1 SAE Specialty Aircraft Examiners (SAE) 6 Schools Flight Schools 12 FBO Fixed Base Operators 36 Clubs Flying Clubs 7 Repair Repair / Maintenance Shops 5 EAA EAA Chapters 3

DPEs nearby

Distance is city-centroid to airport, a first cut, not the exam location.

Designee City ST Distance
Michael Duane Rath Spearfish SD 37 nm
Brian Nicholas Parke Casper WY 160 nm
Dennis Wayne Keesling Sheridan WY 170 nm
Glenn Walter Smith Sheridan WY 170 nm
Lanny Dewitt Guyton Sheridan WY 170 nm
Elliot Neal Brandt Ainsworth NE 171 nm
Michael Thomas Frickel Atkinson NE 205 nm
Darrel Leroy Dilley Lasalle CO 239 nm
Alexander Wernsman Loveland CO 240 nm
Alejandro Anduze Billings MT 252 nm

Showing 10 closest of ~1,400 DPEs nationwide. Source: FAA Designee Locator.

CFIs nearby

City-centroid distance; ratings as on the FAA certificate.

Instructor City ST Distance
Brian Jay Arndt Box Elder SD 2 nm
Arthur Francis Greenwood Box Elder SD 2 nm
David Michael Kneeland Box Elder SD 2 nm
William Joseph Tharp Box Elder SD 2 nm
Gregory Sterling Maury Box Elder SD 2 nm
Stefano Pensa Box Elder SD 2 nm
Enrique Arturo Troconis Box Elder SD 2 nm
Kevin Allan Mclaughlin Box Elder SD 2 nm
Reinaldo Jose Atencio Box Elder SD 2 nm
Baron Leonard Tayler Box Elder SD 2 nm

Showing 10 closest of ~70,900 active CFIs nationwide. Source: FAA Airmen Certification Database.

A&P mechanics nearby

City-centroid distance. A = airframe, P = powerplant, IA = inspection authorization.

Mechanic City ST Distance
Joseph Wayne Davis Ellsworth Afb SD 1 nm
Cameron Adair Taylor Ellsworth Afb SD 1 nm
Daniel Robert Weinfurter Ellsworth Afb SD 1 nm
Brian Jay Arndt Box Elder SD 2 nm
Shawn Patrick Mcinerny Box Elder SD 2 nm
Layne Ronald Bleess Box Elder SD 2 nm
Bryan Compton Sharp Box Elder SD 2 nm
Raymond Alexander Campbell Box Elder SD 2 nm
Dennis Alan Beers Box Elder SD 2 nm
Charles Wesley Drake Box Elder SD 2 nm

Showing 10 closest of ~248,300 certificated mechanics nationwide. Source: FAA Airmen Certification Database.

Repair stations nearby

By airport location.

Shop Distance
Rapid Avionics, Inc.
Rapid City, SD
 6 nm
Atlas Aero Service
Casper, WY
 164 nm
Natrona Avionics, LLC
Casper, WY
 165 nm
Advanced AeroTechnologies Group
Greeley, CO
 233 nm
Avionics Specialists, LLC.
Loveland, CO
 238 nm
Roger Wilco Aviation Services
Yankton, SD
 260 nm
Rocky Mountain Propellers, Inc.
Erie, CO
 263 nm
Mile High Aircraft Services
Watkins, CO
 269 nm
Freedom Air Avionics
Broomfield, CO
 270 nm
Aero Prop USA
Broomfield, CO
 270 nm

Showing 10 closest of ~400 geocoded shops in the repair-station directory. Source: AOPA business listings.