Colgan Lands at Wrong Airport

[SWA Bubba]

Lighten up, Francis. Who do you fly for? Bet they've done it, too. Hell, some have landed in the wrong country even.

Here's a partial list. Delta, Northwest, Continental, United, American, USAirways, TWA, Air France, and just about every regional commuter are on this list:

Thanks for the humbling list, Ty. And it clearly was only a partial list, because I would like to address this one that you mentioned:

[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]- May 11, 1997 - A Continental Airlines 737, bound for Corpus Christi, Texas (CRP), mistakenly lands at Cabaniss Field, an abandoned Navy airfield. Link.
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Actually this was at least the THIRD time a commercial airliner made this same mistake. When I was a student in Corpus in 1992, it had already happened twice in the 80s (I think I remember reading that is was Delta and Continental, but I'm not positive about that). Landing on 31 at CRP, you nearly pass right over 31 at Cabaniss 2 or 3 miles from touchdown. There's actually a note on the Jepp page for the ILS 31 at CRP to not mistake Cabaniss for the civil airport.

It's also not an abandoned Navy airfield. It's used every day for students to practice landings (normally Navy T-44s - a King Air 90). That's why there's no big orange X's on the runways that might have clued the airline guys in.

Thanks for the reality check though!

Bubba

 

[Ty Webb]

SWA Bubba:

Thanks . . . . I think that the knowledge that it could happen to us . . . . if we're not vigilent . . . is what keeps us vigilent . . . . and, therefore, safe.

:beer:

 

[IBNAV8R]

Did you read that in Plane and Pilot?? I truly hope you are not part of this profession.

I'll fly with you any day - just knowing that would NEVER happen to you.

NOT!!

 

[waveflyer]

SWA Bubba:

Thanks . . . . I think that the knowledge that it could happen to us . . . . if we're not vigilent . . . is what keeps us vigilent . . . . and, therefore, safe.

:beer:

Well said Ty.

 

[shmenter]

You are right on WEBB.

Every time I hear about an incident like this or a crash or accident, it is a great reminder. All this stuff COULD happen to me. As soon as we dismiss it ("oh those guys were dumb, how could they..." ) we start walking on thin ice. New guy or Check Airman, gotta back it up with navaids or review the emergency procedures.

Im not perfect and hopefully we all benefit from reminders.

 

[hyflyin]

Did you read that in Plane and Pilot?? I truly hope you are not part of this profession.

Nope, but I have watched many cocky fools like you do such things.

I have no doubt you will be a statistic one day. The real tragedy, you could have learned something.

Good luck

 

[hyflyin]

SWA Bubba:

Thanks . . . . I think that the knowledge that it could happen to us . . . . if we're not vigilent . . . is what keeps us vigilent . . . . and, therefore, safe.

:beer:

Well said!!!

 

[T-1GUY]

Maybe fatigue was a factor ???

 

[Golden Falcon]

When fatigue is a factor on my flt deck, radar vectors to an ILS is usually the lowest workload/safest bet.....

 

[cynic]

Maybe they suck at flying airplanes ???

 

[boxjockey]

Come on guys, don't defend too vehemently here. They were flying a very modern airliner, in a multi-crew environment. Is there no cross-checking there, to verify you are indeed lined up for the correct runway, at the correct airport? Sure, we all make mistakes on every flight, but you have to admit, with current technologies and procedures in place, this just shouldn't happen.

Box

 

[glasspilot1]

>>> Is there no cross-checking there, to verify you are indeed lined up for the correct runway, at the correct airport? <<<


I'm sure there's wording like this at most carriers but I'll say it anyway. One thing I took to heart in my training at TWA was: "On every approach and landing you will use all electronic aids available to you". That means that even on a visual approach (Cleared for the visual to RWY XXX) you brief the approach, tune and identify the radios. Use the ILS, LOC or whatever procedure is available with that runway.

If you fly this way every time it would make it real obvious when you're lined up with the wrong runway (or worse) the wrong airport.

 

[Slug]

# November 3, 1986 - An Air France 727, bound for Eliat, Israel (ETH), mistakenly lands at Aqaba Airport (AQJ) in Jordan. Link. See also "Sorry, Wrong Airport," Associated Press, November 3, 1986.

Boy, you know that one had to cause a stink and a half.

 

[XR650R]

..September 5, 1995 - A Northwest Airlines DC-10, bound for Frankfurt, Germany (FRA), mistakenly lands in Brussels, Belgium (BRU), approximately 200 miles off course.

Wow. That had to hurt as well.

 

[greed]

..September 5, 1995 - A Northwest Airlines DC-10, bound for Frankfurt, Germany (FRA), mistakenly lands in Brussels, Belgium (BRU), approximately 200 miles off course.

Wow. That had to hurt as well.

Yeah I was just thinking of how those poor guys must have felt. I remember how bad I felt taking passengers to the wrong FBO.

 

[onewithwings]

Thread closed due to multiple complaints.