{{Short description|Site in the Aleutian Islands archipelago}} [[Image:Western Aleutians.png|thumb|upright=1.5|5 - Shemya Island]]
'''Shemya''' or '''Simiya''' ({{langx|ale|Samiyax̂}}<ref name="Bergsland">{{cite book | first=K. | last=Bergsland | author-link=Knut Bergsland | year=1994 | title=Aleut Dictionary |publisher=Alaska Native Language Center |location=Fairbanks }}</ref>) is a small island in the [[Semichi Islands]] group of the [[Near Islands]] chain in the [[Aleutian Islands]] [[archipelago]] southwest of [[Alaska]], at {{coord|52|43|27|N|174|07|08|E |scale:500000_region:US-AK_type:isle |display=inline,title}}. It has a land area of {{cvt|5.903 |sqmi|km2}}, and is about {{convert|1200 |mi|km}} southwest of [[Anchorage, Alaska]]. It is {{convert|4.39 |km|mi|disp=flip}} wide and {{convert|6.95 |km|mi|disp=flip}} long.
==History== [[File:Shemya island Cable Bowl N shore.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|Shemya Island north shore]] The Russian vessel ''Saint Peter and Paul'' was wrecked at Shemya in 1762. Most of the crew survived.
In 1943, a [[United States Air Force]] [[radar]] surveillance, [[weather station]], aircraft refueling station, and a {{convert|10000|ft|m|adj=mid|-long}} runway opened on Shemya and are still in operation. At its peak in the 1960s, the station, originally [[Shemya Air Force Base]] or Shemya Station, had 1,500 workers. In 1956, [[Northwest Airlines]] leased Shemya Island from the U.S. government to use as a refueling station on their North Pacific route. According to Northwest's website, that made them "the first airline to operate its own airport."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nwa.com/corpinfo/upclose/1950.shtml |title=Northwest Historical Timeline |website=About NWA |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090314053721/http://www.nwa.com/corpinfo/upclose/1950.shtml |archive-date=2009-03-14}}</ref> Northwest was operating [[Lockheed Constellation]] [[Lockheed L-1049 Super Constellation|L-1049G model]] propliners on its "Orient Express" service between the U.S. and Asia in 1956.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.timetableimages.com/ttimages/complete/nw56/|date=Oct 28, 1956|publisher=Northwest Airlines|title=System timetable|access-date=May 28, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180526071245/http://www.timetableimages.com/ttimages/complete/nw56/|archive-date=May 26, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref>
During the height of the [[Cold War]], the United States Air Force airborne intelligence platforms "[[Cobra Ball]]", "[[Rivet Amber]]," and "[[Rivet Ball]]" flew [[intercontinental ballistic missile]] tracking flights from this island near the [[Soviet Union]], especially the [[Kamchatka Peninsula]]. Observations from Shemya were normally the first radar reports of new Soviet satellite launches from [[Baikonur Cosmodrome|Tyuratam (Baikonur)]] in the early days of satellite tracking; see [[Project Space Track (1957–1961)|Project Space Track]].
In 1993, the station was renamed the [[Eareckson Air Station]] to honor USAF Colonel [[William O. Eareckson]], who had commanded bomber operations during the [[Battle of the Aleutian Islands|Aleutian Campaign]] of [[World War II]].
[[Image:Shemya.png|thumb|upright=1.2|A landsat image of Shemya Island.]] The station still operates as a radar station and aircraft refueling station with a staff of about 180 people. The [[United States Census, 2000|2000 census]] reported an official resident population of 27 persons on the island.
One of the most recognizable features of the island is the [[COBRA DANE]] radar system. This radar was built in 1976 and brought on-line in 1977 for the primary mission of intelligence gathering in support of verification of the [[Strategic Arms Limitation Talks]] (SALT) II agreement.
Shemya was an important outpost during the Cold War;<ref name=gurdn>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=yRErAAAAIBAJ&sjid=IZwFAAAAIBAJ&pg=3019%2C3383604 |work=Reading Eagle |location=Pennsylvania |agency=UPI |title=Shemya – guardian of America's air defense |date=June 23, 1963 |page=8}}</ref> as part of [[Project Bluegrass]], the [[White Alice Communications System]] provided a vital [[tropospheric scatter]] communications link to the mainland during the early-1960s to late-1970s. Its two {{convert|120|ft|m|adj=on}} parabolic reflectors and 50 kW transmitter output bridged the nearly {{convert|400|mi}} gap to [[Adak, Alaska]].
=== List of commercial flights diverted to Shemya === : ''See also {{section link|Eareckson Air Station|Accidents and incidents}}.'' * [[China Eastern Airlines Flight 583]] made an emergency landing at the island's airbase at April 6, 1993. * American Airlines Flight 175, a [[Boeing 777|Boeing 777-200ER]], from [[Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport|Dallas Fort Worth, Texas (DFW/KDFW)]] to [[Narita International Airport|Tokyo Narita, Japan (NRT/RJAA)]] made an emergency landing due to indication of cargo fire on July 11, 2010.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Featured Maps: American Airlines 777 Diversion to Shemya (13 July 2010) - Great Circle Mapper |url=http://www.gcmap.com/featured/20100713 |access-date=2023-03-02 |website=www.gcmap.com}}</ref> * Cathay Pacific Flight 884 from [[Hong Kong]] to [[Los Angeles]] made an emergency landing at the island's airbase due to smoke detection on July 29, 2015.{{cn|date=October 2024}} * [[Delta Air Lines]] Flight 128 from [[Beijing]] to [[Seattle]] made an emergency landing on the island's airbase on December 24, 2018, when the [[Boeing 767-300ER]] developed engine problems.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/delta-flight-from-beijing-to-seattle-lands-on-alaskan-island-due-to-engine-issue-alaska-public-media-reports/|date=Dec 24, 2018|publisher=Seattle Times|title=Delta flight from Beijing to Seattle lands on Alaskan island due to ‘potential engine issue’|access-date=December 24, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181224230911/https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/delta-flight-from-beijing-to-seattle-lands-on-alaskan-island-due-to-engine-issue-alaska-public-media-reports/|archive-date=December 24, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> * [[Polar Air Cargo]] Flight 717 made an emergency landing at the island's airport on March 13, 2020.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.flightradar24.com/PAC717/242bd0c5 | title = Polar Air Cargo flight PO717 | website = [[Flightradar24]] | archive-url = https://archive.today/20200314074217/https://www.flightradar24.com/data/flights/po717/%23242bd0c5 | archive-date = 2020-03-14 | access-date = 2020-03-13 | url-status = live }}</ref> * [[FedEx Express]] Flight 9796, a [[Boeing 777|Boeing 777-F2S]] flying from [[Anchorage Ted Stevens International Airport]] to [[Noi Bai International Airport|Hanoi Noi Bai International Airport]], diverted to [[Eareckson Air Station|Shemya Eareckson Air Station]] on October 1, 2024 due a #1 engine failure.{{cn|date=October 2024}} * [[FedEx Express]] Flight 9080, an [[Airbus A300|Airbus A300F4-600]] flying from [[Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport]] to [[Anchorage Ted Stevens International Airport]], declared emergency and diverted to [[Eareckson Air Station|Shemya Eareckson Air Station]] on November 5, 2025, after receiving a fuel leak indication.{{cn|date=November 2025}}
=== Former airline service === [[Reeve Aleutian Airways]] (RAA) operated scheduled passenger service into Shemya for many years. During the 1970s and 1980s, Reeve operated nonstop flights to [[Anchorage]] (ANC) with [[Lockheed L-188 Electra]] turboprop aircraft.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.departedflights.com/ANC75intro.html|date=April 15, 1975|work=Official Airline Guide (OAG)|title=Anchorage flight schedules|access-date=May 28, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180529054408/http://www.departedflights.com/ANC75intro.html|archive-date=May 29, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> By 1989, the airline was operating nonstop jet service to Anchorage with [[Boeing 727-100]] [[combi aircraft]] which were capable of transporting passengers and freight on the main deck of the aircraft.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.departedflights.com/ANC89intro.html|date=Dec 15, 1989|work=Official Airline Guide (OAG)|title=Anchorage flight schedules|access-date=May 28, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180529054417/http://www.departedflights.com/ANC89intro.html|archive-date=May 29, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> Reeve's 727 service from Anchorage continued during the 1990s as did 727 flights from [[Adak Island, AK]] and [[Cold Bay, AK]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.departedflights.com/ANC95intro.html|work=Official Airline Guide (OAG)|title=Anchorage flight schedules|date=Apr 2, 1995|access-date=May 28, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180529054244/http://www.departedflights.com/ANC95intro.html|archive-date=May 29, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> Reeve Aleutian ceased all flight operations in 2000.
== Climate == The weather on Shemya is very drastic, though the temperatures vary only between single digits and the mid-fifties. The climate is perhaps the most equatorward low-altitude occurrence of a polar climate (''ET'') in the world, though it is extremely close to a [[subpolar oceanic climate]] (''Cfc''), or a [[subarctic climate]] if the 0 degree Celsius isotherm is used. The island weather is most likely to be cloudy with a mist. The wind ranges from {{convert|30|to|40|mph|km/h}}.
The [[Japanese current]] in the Pacific to the south of the island regulates the temperature and gives it the pronounced temperature lag. August and September are the warmest months. The island's record low occurred in April. Despite it being a tundra climate, it is spared the vicious cold of places like [[Utqiagvik, Alaska]], where temperatures in winter can rival those of interior Alaska in winter.
{{Weather box|width=auto |location = Shemya (1961–1990 normals, extremes 1943–1995) |single line = Y |Jan record high F = 44 |Feb record high F = 44 |Mar record high F = 43 |Apr record high F = 47 |May record high F = 48 |Jun record high F = 57 |Jul record high F = 64 |Aug record high F = 63 |Sep record high F = 59 |Oct record high F = 54 |Nov record high F = 48 |Dec record high F = 48 |Jan avg record high F = 38.5 |Feb avg record high F = 38.3 |Mar avg record high F = 39.1 |Apr avg record high F = 41.3 |May avg record high F = 45.4 |Jun avg record high F = 49.6 |Jul avg record high F = 55.1 |Aug avg record high F = 56.6 |Sep avg record high F = 54.5 |Oct avg record high F = 50.3 |Nov avg record high F = 45.3 |Dec avg record high F = 41.1 |year avg record high F = 57.7 |Jan high F = 33.7 |Feb high F = 33.1 |Mar high F = 34.7 |Apr high F = 37.7 |May high F = 41.2 |Jun high F = 44.6 |Jul high F = 48.9 |Aug high F = 51.6 |Sep high F = 50.7 |Oct high F = 45.4 |Nov high F = 39.2 |Dec high F = 35.6 |year high F = 41.4 |Jan mean F = 31.0 |Feb mean F = 30.5 |Mar mean F = 31.9 |Apr mean F = 35.0 |May mean F = 38.6 |Jun mean F = 42.2 |Jul mean F = 46.6 |Aug mean F = 49.2 |Sep mean F = 47.8 |Oct mean F = 42.2 |Nov mean F = 36.0 |Dec mean F = 32.8 |year mean F = 38.7 |Jan low F = 28.2 |Feb low F = 27.8 |Mar low F = 29.0 |Apr low F = 32.2 |May low F = 35.9 |Jun low F = 39.8 |Jul low F = 44.2 |Aug low F = 46.8 |Sep low F = 44.9 |Oct low F = 39.0 |Nov low F = 32.8 |Dec low F = 29.9 |year low F = 35.9 |Jan avg record low F = 18.2 |Feb avg record low F = 18.1 |Mar avg record low F = 20.5 |Apr avg record low F = 25.3 |May avg record low F = 30.9 |Jun avg record low F = 35.9 |Jul avg record low F = 40.7 |Aug avg record low F = 43.0 |Sep avg record low F = 37.8 |Oct avg record low F = 31.8 |Nov avg record low F = 24.9 |Dec avg record low F = 20.5 |year avg record low F = 15.6 |Jan record low F = 9 |Feb record low F = 7 |Mar record low F = 11 |Apr record low F = 18 |May record low F = 24 |Jun record low F = 29 |Jul record low F = 36 |Aug record low F = 38 |Sep record low F = 33 |Oct record low F = 26 |Nov record low F = 15 |Dec record low F = 7 |precipitation colour = green |Jan precipitation inch = 2.49 |Feb precipitation inch = 1.96 |Mar precipitation inch = 1.90 |Apr precipitation inch = 1.82 |May precipitation inch = 1.65 |Jun precipitation inch = 1.87 |Jul precipitation inch = 2.69 |Aug precipitation inch = 4.11 |Sep precipitation inch = 2.93 |Oct precipitation inch = 3.83 |Nov precipitation inch = 4.04 |Dec precipitation inch = 2.95 |year precipitation inch = 32.24 |unit precipitation days = 0.01 inch |Jan precipitation days = 22.5 |Feb precipitation days = 20.1 |Mar precipitation days = 20.5 |Apr precipitation days = 16.7 |May precipitation days = 15.8 |Jun precipitation days = 14.3 |Jul precipitation days = 15.3 |Aug precipitation days = 17.5 |Sep precipitation days = 18.3 |Oct precipitation days = 22.2 |Nov precipitation days = 24.1 |Dec precipitation days = 23.4 |year precipitation days = 230.7 |Jan snow inch = 15.6 |Feb snow inch = 13.7 |Mar snow inch = 11.0 |Apr snow inch = 5.2 |May snow inch = 1.4 |Jun snow inch = 0.0 |Jul snow inch = 0.0 |Aug snow inch = 0.0 |Sep snow inch = 0.0 |Oct snow inch = 1.1 |Nov snow inch = 8.2 |Dec snow inch = 14.5 |year snow inch = 70.7 |unit snow days = 0.01 inch |Jan snow days = 18.8 |Feb snow days = 17.4 |Mar snow days = 16.3 |Apr snow days = 9.1 |May snow days = 2.1 |Jun snow days = 0.0 |Jul snow days = 0.0 |Aug snow days = 0.0 |Sep snow days = 0.0 |Oct snow days = 1.6 |Nov snow days = 11.8 |Dec snow days = 16.9 |year snow days = 94.0 |source 1 = WRCC: Period of Record General Climate Summary Table<ref name = "climate" >{{cite web |url = http://www.wrcc.dri.edu/cgi-bin/cliMAIN.pl?ak8419 |title = Shemya USAF Base, Alaska (508419) |publisher = [[Western Regional Climate Center]] |access-date = 2016-02-09 |date = Oct 31, 2012 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110927160209/http://www.wrcc.dri.edu/cgi-bin/cliMAIN.pl?ak8419 |archive-date = September 27, 2011 |url-status = live }}</ref> |source 2 = XMACIS (snowfall)<ref>[https://xmacis.rcc-acis.org/ XMACIS]</ref>}}
==References== {{reflist}} *[https://www.census.gov Shemya Island: Block 1147, Census Tract 1, Aleutians West Census Area, Alaska] United States Census Bureau
==External links== {{commons category|Shemya Island}} * [http://shemya.hlswilliwaw.com Web site about Shemya] * [http://www.globalsecurity.org/space/library/report/2001/x-band_radar.htm#A%20Brief Briefing about Shemya] Global Security * [http://www.RC135.com "A Tale of Two Airplanes"] by Kingdon R. "King" Hawes, Lt Col, USAF (Ret.)
{{Islands in the Bering Sea}}
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[[Category:Semichi Islands]] [[Category:Islands of Unorganized Borough, Alaska]] [[Category:Islands of Alaska]]