The airport was opened in April 1940 as Conners Field. It was leased by theUnited States Army Air Corps in 1941 as an auxiliary training field, and used by theHendricks Army AirfieldB-17 Flying Fortress training school nearSebring duringWorld War II. The runways and other facilities were improved by the Army, and the airport was used for trainingtouch-and-go landings landings and emergencies. No permanent military units or personnel were assigned. With the end of the war in 1945, the site was returned for civil use.
Since then, Okeechobee has been operated as a general aviation airport. The Florida Division of Forestry has a base at the airport.[2]
The airport has two runways, both paved withasphalt. Runway 5/23 measures 5,000 ft x 100 ft (1524 x 30 m); runway 14/32 measures 4001 x 75 ft (1220 x 23 m).[3][4] Both runways have full-length parallel taxiways.[2]
The airport has afixed-base operator that sellsfuel–bothavgas andjet fuel–and offers it 24 hours per day. Services such ashangars and courtesy cars are available; there are also amenities such as internet, a crew lounge, and snooze rooms.[5]
Local pilots and aircraft owners have access to t-hangars and box hangars. There was formerly a restaurant at the airport called "The Landing Strip Café," though as of fall 2025 it is permanently closed.[2]
On July 24, 2002, aPiper Warrior II experienced a loss of directional control and collided with a fence during atouch-and-go landing at Okeechobee County Airport.[6]
On July 17, 2004, aPiper Archer flown by a student pilot crashed while landing at the Okeechobee County Airport. The pilot was not killed. The probable cause of the accident was found to be the student pilot's failure to maintain directional control of the airplane during landing roll, resulting in the airplane departing the runway and impacting a fence incurring substantial damage.[7]
On March 24, 2007, aCessna 150 lost engine power while attempting to land at the Okeechobee County Airport and crashed just short of the runway. The sole pilot onboard was not injured. The probable cause of the accident was found to be the pilot's failure to refuel the airplane prior to fuel exhaustion, which resulted in a loss of engine power during final approach, and a collision with a ditch.[8]
On June 6, 2008, aCessna 152 landed hard at the Okeechobee County Airport.[9]
On September 21, 2011, aPiper Warrior II crashed while attempting a power-off landing at the Okeechobee County Airport. All onboard survived.[11]
On September 16, 2012, aColumbia 350 Corvalis was "experimenting" with landing on instruments when the aircraft landed hard in a flat position. The pilot did not realize he had done "serious damage" to the aircraft. The probable cause of the incident was found to be the pilot's improper landing flare, which resulted in a hard landing.[12]
On June 28, 2013, aPiper Warrior II crashed during a go-around at the Okeechobee County Airport. The sole student pilot onboard reported no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that could have precluded this operation.[13]
On February 23, 2025, a small plane's landing gear collapsed while landing at the Okeechobee County Airport.[14]
This article incorporatespublic domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
