Airport remains, an April Fools' joke

WEIRWOOD, Va. (WAVY) - A Virginia airport's April Fools' joke really took off.

On April 1, Campbell Field Airport in Weirwood reported that it was temporarily closing, after human remains were found in the middle of an earthen runway.

Field owner Gordon Campbell said the remains were believed to be of airport founder Darrell Kellam. Kellam started the airport in 1933. He died in 1976 and it's believed he requested that he be buried at the end of the runway.

"The grave site lies about 100 feet from the southern end of the runway and exactly where the threshold for the runway used to be", said Campbell in a released statement.

Speculation is that the flooding over the years helped "float" the remains to the surface, which were reportedly discovered Wednesday.

The flooding was the only part of this story that was true. The airport's website revealed it was all a hoax, long after local and national media reported the original story. The message reads, "Happy April Fool's Day! Hope you enjoyed the prank! (But the airport really closed due to heavy rain)."

While  Campbell Field Airport 's NOTAM (notice to airmen) about the closure was true, the rationale issued by the field, that the airport was shut down to “enable a crew to carefully exhume the body”, was not.

The airport will remain closed until April 8 because the runways are soft and wet - and that is no joke.