Merle K (Mudhole) Smith Airport
CDV · PACV · Cordova, Alaska · Valdez-Cordova County · map
Merle K (Mudhole) Smith Airport is a public-use airport, 11 miles southeast of Cordova, Alaska, 53 feet above sea level. It has 2 runways; the longest, 09/27, is 7,500 feet of asphalt.
Weather right now PACV · observed 11:53 am AKDT (19:53 UTC), 42 minutes ago
VFR good flying weather
- Wind variable at 5 knots
- Visibility 10 miles or more
- Sky: overcast at 3,300 feet
- Temperature 47°F (8°C), dew point 40°F (4°C)
- Altimeter 29.64 inHg
The forecast issued Tue 9:26 am AKDT (17:26 UTC), good until Wed 10:00 am AKDT (18:00 UTC)
- From Tue 10:00 am AKDT (18:00 UTC): wind from the east at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, light rain showers, scattered clouds at 2,500 feet, overcast at 3,500 feet VFR
- From Tue 4:00 pm AKDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the east at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, light rain showers, a broken layer at 2,500 feet, overcast at 3,500 feet MVFR
The codes as issued (METAR and TAF)
METAR PACV 061953Z VRB05KT 10SM OVC033 08/04 A2964 RMK AO2 SLP036 T00830044
TAF PACV 061726Z 0618/0718 09006KT P6SM -SHRA SCT025 OVC035 FM070000 09005KT P6SM -SHRA BKN025 OVC035
From the National Weather Service's aviation weather service, refreshed every few minutes; times are local to the airport with UTC in brackets. For a flight, get your briefing from Flight Service or an approved provider.
The airport
- Codes
- FAA CDV · ICAO PACV
- Kind
- Airport · open to the public · publicly owned
- Elevation
- 53 feet above sea level
- Control tower
- No control tower
- Attended
- every day, 6:00 am to 4:30 pm
- Lights
- runway lights see the remarks below; beacon sunset to sunrise
- Parking
- tiedown
- Notes
- certified for airline service (Part 139)
- On the chart
- Anchorage sectional
- Magnetic variation
- 19E
- In the FAA's files since
- January 1949
Runways 2
For understanding the field, not for navigation.
| Runway | Length × width | Surface | Lights |
|---|---|---|---|
| 09/27 | 7,500 × 150 ft | Asphalt, good | High-intensity lights |
| 16/34 | 1,934 × 30 ft | Gravel, fair |
- Runway 09: VASI, four boxes on the left, omnidirectional approach lights (ODALS), right-hand traffic pattern, ant 20 ft high 600 ft from the end
- Runway 27: ILS with DME, VASI, four boxes on the left, medium-intensity approach lights with runway alignment lights (MALSR), pole 25 ft high 500 ft from the end
- Runway 34: trees 70 ft high 350 ft from the end
Radio frequencies
| Cordova and rco · Common traffic advisory (CTAF) | 123.6 | Cordova |
| Johnstone Point Center (remote transmitter) Low/high | 119.3 | |
| Cordova and rco | 121.5 | Cordova |
| Cordova and rco | 122.2 | Cordova |
| Middleton Island Center (remote transmitter) Low | 133.6 | |
| Cdv and automated weather (ASOS) | 134.8 |
Automated weather (ASOS), by phone 907-424-5900.
Wind map live wind over the area, from Windy.com
Colours show wind speed, the moving lines its direction; drag the time bar for the coming days. Map and forecast by Windy.com.
Aircraft registered in Cordova from the FAA register
64 aircraft are registered to owners in Cordova, Alaska: 54 piston singles, 4 piston twins, 3 turboprops, 3 helicopters. Not every one of them is based at this airport; the based-aircraft count above is the FAA's figure for this airport alone.
Companies and organisations in town with two or more aircraft:
Individuals are counted, never named. All aircraft registered in Alaska.
Accidents and incidents at or near this airport NTSB records · 15 since 1982, 1 fatal
Cases the NTSB recorded with this as the nearest airport, newest first. Each opens the full report in plain English.
Nearby within 30 nautical miles
The FAA's remarks as written in the airport file
- Closed to air carrier operations more than 30 passenger seats except 24 hour prior permission required in writing - amgr box 598 Cordova AK 99574.
- Erratic winds.
- Activate approach lights (MALSR) runway 27; odals runway 09; VASI runways 09 and 27; high-intensity runway lights runway 09/27 - the common traffic frequency.
- Engineered materials arresting system (emas) 250 feet in length by 170 feet in width located der 27.
- Runway 16/34 not available for part 121/380 schedule and unscheduled operations with passenger carrying operations more than 30 passenger seats.
- 36 in orange cones may 1 - oct 25.
- 36 in orange cones may 1 - oct 25.
- Runway 09 VASI unusable beyond 4 NM due to obstructions.
- Moose and birds in the vicinity of airport and runways.
- Rescue and firefighting (ARFF) equip durg air carrier act only.
- Cordova weather - 424-7614 or 122.65.
- Airport sand lrgr gradation than FAA recommended/see AC150/5200-30.
Facts from the FAA's airport file effective October 1, 2026, written out in plain English; weather from the National Weather Service's aviation weather service; registered aircraft from the FAA register as of October 5, 2026; accidents from the NTSB's public database. Owners are shown only when they are an organisation; no person is named. Check the official sources before a flight: this page is for understanding an airport, not for planning one.