![]() ![]() ![]() On 12 January 2014, the pilots of a Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-700 stopped their plane just short of a ravine at the end of a short runway in Hollister, Missouri. Some pilots said they disregarded navigation equipment that showed their planes slightly off course because the information didn’t match what they were seeing through their windows – a runway straight ahead. Many incidents occurred at night, with pilots reporting they were attracted by the runway lights of the first airport they saw during descent. ![]() In most cases, the pilots were cleared by controllers to fly based on what they could see rather than relying on automation. Of the 35 documented wrong landings, at least 23 occurred at airports with shorter runways, creating potential safety issues. Landings at wrong airports by commercial pilots, while unusual, are still more common than many passengers may realize or airlines would like to acknowledge.Īn Associated Press search two years ago of government safety data and news reports since the early 1990s found at least 150 flights in which US commercial passenger and cargo planes have either landed at the wrong airport or started to land and realized their mistake in time. The air force said in a statement base officials “followed the proper procedures to address the situation” and ensured the safety of those at the base and passengers.Ĭiting security reasons, base officials declined to answer questions regarding the specific procedures followed during the incident and whether air traffic controllers at the base were in contact with the pilot and authorized the landing. “Delta will fully cooperate with that investigation and has already begun an internal review of its own,” it added. ![]() The crew has been taken off duty while NTSB investigates, the statement said. The plane remained on the ground for more than three hours as the pilots explained to air force security officers what went wrong, and a new crew was dispatched to continue the flight to Rapid city.ĭelta has contacted the passengers “and offered a gesture of apology for the inconvenience”, the airline said in a statement. In 2004, a Northwest Airlines flight carrying 117 passengers to Rapid City landed at Ellsworth. This was not the first time airline pilots have mistaken the air force base for the Rapid city airport. ![]()
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