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Related: Culture Forums, Support ForumsEver get off at the wrong exit?
More than 100 Delta passengers on board a flight bound for Rapid City, South Dakota got an unexpected surprise Thursday night when their plane mistakenly landed at an Air Force Base, about five miles north of the aircraft's intended target.
Ellsworth Air Force Base confirmed in a statement to ABC that while it was an unauthorized landing, "Base officials followed the proper procedures to address the situation and ensure the safety of our Airmen, their families and the passengers."
Both the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the incident.
"The pilots of the Airbus A320 had been cleared to land at Rapid City Regional Airport. The aircraft instead touched down at Ellsworth Air Force Base, shortly before 7:45 p.m. local time," the FAA released in a statement to ABC News.
http://abcnews.go.com/US/delta-plane-mistakenly-lands-south-dakota-air-force/story?id=40444218
The Velveteen Ocelot
(115,733 posts)same airports (by Northwest Airlines, now merged into Delta). What I can't figure out is how you can do that with an A320, which is supposed to take you to whatever airport was programmed into the FMS. There's a moving map display and everything.
Major Nikon
(36,827 posts)Spot the wrong airport, call it in sight, and ATC clears you for the visual. At that point the FMS doesn't matter because you're only looking out the window.
The Velveteen Ocelot
(115,733 posts)It's fine for GA but part 121 carriers have specific requirements for approaches, including visual ones. On the Airbus they don't normally hand-fly approaches, even in VMC. The FMS commands the approach, either way. The only time you'd disconnect the autopilot and hand-fly is if you unexpectedly had to fly an approach that hadn't been programmed into the FMS because an instrument approach backup is required for visual approaches. I'm sure this crew will be doing the rug dance in the chief pilot's office because this wouldn't have happened if they'd been following the airline's established procedures.
Major Nikon
(36,827 posts)I suspect their days of flying part 121 are over.
I'm sure the FAA is also going to have a conversation with them about their future in aviation as well.
Laffy Kat
(16,383 posts)TreasonousBastard
(43,049 posts)Being a small regional carrier in the old days meant you got away with a lot of stuff, and Mohawk regularly found its planes in Canada when they should have been in Buffalo.
Fla Dem
(23,690 posts)Last edited Sun Jul 10, 2016, 11:37 AM - Edit history (1)
Rapid City Regional Airport is in the lower right hand corner.
malthaussen
(17,204 posts)... easy to mix up visually, but the pilot of the Airbus had no business flying visual.
-- Mal
malthaussen
(17,204 posts)... and the next thing I knew, I was on I-95 headed for Florida!" (Jimmy Buffett schtick)
-- Mal