Pilots flying Boeing’s massive 747 Dreamlifter landed at the wrong airport yesterday ........

Discussion in 'General Discussion' started by stg58, Nov 21, 2013.


  1. stg58

    stg58 Monkey+++ Founding Member

    Wow,

    They flew in 2 new pilots who took it to McConnell Air Force Base, it would seem that the 2 who landed it elected to pursue other opportunities and or spend more time with their families..

    These two pilots will be lucky to be flying a radio controlled model plane.
    .............................................................................................................
    It takes them 5 minutes on the ground to figure where they are..

    Boeing 747 mistakenly lands at wrong airport - McConnell AFB ATC audio 11/20/13 by buzzfeednews on SoundCloud - Hear the world’s sounds

    Boeing's Massive Dreamlifter Lands at the Wrong Airport, Gets Stuck (Updated) | Autopia | Wired.com

    Boeing 747 jumbo jet that landed at wrong airport reaches destination - World - CBC News

    The Boeing 747 jumbo jet that mistakenly landed at a small Kansas airport not far from the air force base where it was supposed to land has, on its second attempt, successfully reached its destination, although questions still remain as to what brought the pilot to the wrong airport in the first place.

    The 747-400 landed at McConnell Air Force Base in Wichita some time after 2 p.m. ET Thursday after spending the first part of the day on the runway at Col. James Jabara Airport, where it had mistakenly landed the night before while on its way to McConnell to deliver parts for Boeing's famed new 787 Dreamliner.

    The small Jabara airport is about 13 kilometres north of the air force base, and its runway is just 1,860 metres long, much shorter than is ideal for an aircraft the size of a Boeing 747.

    The huge plane had to be turned around by a tug to prepare for departure.

    Boeing owns the plane, but it's operated by Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings, a New York-based cargo-hauler that also provides crews or planes to companies that need them.

    Pilot sounds confused
    The area of Kansas where the plane landed Wednesday evening has three airports with similar runway configurations: the air force base, the Jabara airfield and a third facility in between called Beech Airport.

    Atlas Air spokeswoman Bonnie Rodney declined to answer questions about why the pilot missed his target and referred inquiries to Boeing.

    "We are working with Atlas Air to determine the circumstances," Boeing said in a written statement.

    The plane was flying with a two-man crew and no passengers.

    The Federal Aviation Administration planned to investigate whether the pilot followed air traffic controllers' instructions or violated any federal regulations.

    The pilot sounds confused in his exchanges with air traffic control, according to audio provided by LiveATC.net, which posts live air traffic communications

    "We just landed at the other airport," the pilot says to controllers shortly after the landing.

    Once the pilot says they're at the wrong airport, two different controllers jump in to confirm that the plane is safely on the ground and fully stopped.

    Mixes up compass directions
    The pilot and controllers then go back and forth trying to figure out which airport the plane is at. At one point, a controller reads to the pilot the co-ordinates where he sees the plane on radar. When the pilot reads the co-ordinates back, he mixes up "east" and "west."

    "Sorry about that, couldn't read my handwriting," the pilot says.

    A few moments later, the pilot says he thinks he knows where they are. He then asks how many airports there are to the south of McConnell. But the airports are north of McConnell.

    "I'm sorry, I meant north," the pilot says when corrected. "I'm sorry. I'm looking at something else."

    They finally agree on where the plane is after the pilot reports that a smaller plane, visible on the radar of air traffic control, has just flown overhead.

    The modified 747 is one of a fleet of four that hauls parts around the world to make Boeing's 787 Dreamliner. The "Dreamlifter" is a 747-400 with its body expanded to hold whole fuselage sections and other large parts. If a regular 747 with its bulbous double-decker nose looks like a snake, the bulbous Dreamlifter looks like a snake that swallowed a rat.
     
    Last edited: Nov 21, 2013
  2. gunbunny

    gunbunny Never Trust A Bunny

    Pilots don't get lost; they merely get disoriented. ;)
     
  3. Dont

    Dont Just another old gray Jarhead Monkey

    At least they did not fall asleep and wake up over Atlanta..
     
  4. Minuteman

    Minuteman Chaplain Moderator Founding Member

    I've flown over Kansas at night, it all looks the same from the air. Ehh, from the ground too!
     
  5. Dont

    Dont Just another old gray Jarhead Monkey

    Do not military fields have a split light spinning..
     
  6. VHestin

    VHestin Farm Chick

    Got a good laugh out of this one.
     
  7. gunbunny

    gunbunny Never Trust A Bunny

    Yes, white-white-green instead of white-green.

    The problem is they have to actually be looking outside the aircraft to see it, and not on their cell phones and such.

    If they were using instruments, they would have had to be on the wrong frequency entirely to fly the ILS approach. If using GPS, they set the destination wrong.
     
  8. Dont

    Dont Just another old gray Jarhead Monkey

    Sets me of mind of the pilot's that had taken a nap
    on a flight to Hilo and over shot Hilo and the whole island Island ..
     
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