C-17 Lands at Wrong Airport

[Majestik Møøse]

But was that the correct beach?

[BattleRattle]

Thread bump: Did anyone ever find out the punishments that were doled out to the C-17 crewmembers?

[Karl Hungus]

Thread bump: Did anyone ever find out the punishments that were doled out to the C-17 crewmembers?

[BattleRattle]

Touche.

[airlineflunky]

A little Solarcaine, skin moisturizer and a neck massage, and those guys will be right back in the saddle.

[AnimalMother]

At least it looks like the Air Force is finally starting to go a bit easier on guys.

[LL Windshear]

At least it looks like the Air Force is finally starting to go a bit easier on guys.

Nice!

[Napoleon_Tanerite]

I think he was asking about what happened about the "wrong airport" thing, not for being overdue for a PT test...

[SocialD]

Whew!!! I thought it would have been much worse...

[Marco]

Got this from a buddy at Macdill.

[Toasty]

Ya know, in the Herk we joke about -17 guys being gucci airheads...things like this don't help!

On a more serious note, it sounds like there's quite a few fighter guys just saying "Man up and fly a visual right", and that's just not the way to approach flying a heavy. It's too much airplane, too much inertia, too much risk to squeeze in maneuvers or events you didn't plan and pre-think ahead of time. Yeah, these guys were wrong in every way possible, sure- airfield ID, DME, hell look at the fucking ground (you didn't fly over water, you're not there yet).

We're fortunate enough to have 4 guys up front, all crosschecking each other (and would you believe it, it works?). As a nav I look at this kind of incident and sigh. But on an even smaller crew like the -17...the PNF has got to EXPECT the other guy to be 6-9 seconds away from fucking something up, every day. We've got 4 people in the Herk, plus two LM's (who DO catch shit), and we still lose things through the cracks. On a 2-man crew with a whole lot of airplane, you've got to be on your game, every time. There's no excuse for flying to a major airfield and NOT having an approach ready, or a waypoint built, or the fucking DME tuned, and using them to the max extent possible. Our planes are too big to be fucking around in, and we've got too many lives riding in back.

And having said THAT, yeah, some buddies of mine put a Herk into Khost instead of Salerno a few years back (technically only touch-n-go'd). They all got Q-3'd, and admitted that "SCNS was correct, but we didn't follow it because we thought we saw it." Use your fucking systems, guys. In my experience, SCNS (or equivalent) is usually right, and your eyeball is usually wrong.

[herkbier]

Thanks Nav..  too much airplane? YGBSM.

Edited September 11, 2012 by Herkbier

[SurelySerious]

It's amazing the U-2 ever makes it home without a Nav, FE, Copilot, or wingman.

[Danny Noonin]

It's amazing the U-2 ever makes it home without a Nav, FE, Copilot, or wingman.

Yeah, how do you do that without a wingman telling you where to go?

[SurelySerious]

Yeah, how do you do that without a wingman telling you where to go?

Clean kill

[Guest]

This is a nice thread revival. I think I've pissed myself laughing. Damnit.

[Prozac]

I don't think anyone's arguing that heavy crews should just start winging it and make shit up as we go. Yeah, get the approach plate out and brief whatever you're planning to fly. You should also be able to land the plane by (steady now nav) looking out the fvckin window.

Edited September 11, 2012 by Prozac

[SocialD]

Yeah, how do you do that without a wingman telling you where to go?

How has anyone figured it out w/o a 2 or 4 person crew?

This is a nice thread revival. I think I've pissed myself laughing. Damnit.

These may help old man.

[Buddy Spike]

We're fortunate enough to have 4 guys up front,

[Guest]

These may help old man.

That was my joke, duh.

[jcj]

I understand that flying a military aircraft is different from a civilian aircraft, but airmanship is the common thread & there have to be some operational improvements we can develop and share (at least in non-tactical envirinments for mil). Here are a few other "wrong airport" scenarios from around the world in recent years.

No, my wrong airport landing in the mighty C-182 isn't on this list. Neither is NWA landing @ Ellsworth, having intended to land in Rapid City in 2004

Courtesy of jtsastre @ flyertalk.net:

August 17 2006 - Turkish civilian airplane with 200 passengers aboard going to Poznan "Lawica"-airport has landed instead on a military airstrip in Krzesiny located some kilometers away.

March 29, 2006 - A Eirjet A320 bound for Derry, Northern Ireland mistakenly lands at Ballykelly, a military airfield.

December 16, 2005 - A Pakistan International Airlines 737 bound for Karachi, Pakistan mistakenly lands at Faisal, a military airfield.

September 5, 2005 - A Wings Air MD-80 bound for Minangkabau International Airport in Padang, Indonesia mistakenly lands at Tabing Airport, a military airfield.

January 9, 2004 - A Shuttle America Saab 340 bound for University Park Airport in State College, Pennsylvania mistakenly lands at Mid-State Regional Airport in Philipsburg, Pennsylvania.

January 22, 2003 - A Chatauqua Airlines Embraer 145, chartered by the University of Notre Dame basketball team and bound for South Bend, Indiana, mistakenly lands at Elkhart Municipal Airport. See Tom Coyne, "Irish land at wrong airport because of pilot mistake," Associated Press, January 24, 2003.

July 30, 2002 - A LOT Polish Airlines aircraft, bound for Kaliningrad, Russia, mistakenly lands at Chkalovsk, an abandoned military airfield.

June 27, 2001 - A TAM Fokker 100, bound for Teresina, Brazil, mistakenly lands at Timon. See "Brazilian pilot mistakes private airstrip for urban airport," Deutsche Presse-Agentur, June 27, 2001.

March 14, 2001 - A TWA MD-80, bound for Yampa Valley Airport in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, mistakenly lands at Craig-Moffat Airport.

December 8, 2000 - A BAX Global DC-8, bound for Oscoda-Wurtsmith Airport in Oscoda, Michigan, mistakenly lands at Iosco County Airport in East Tawas.

June 17, 2000 - An Air Nova Dash 8, bound for Mont Joli, Quebec, mistakenly lands at Rimouski. See "Pilots land at wrong airport," The Gazette (Montreal, Quebec), June 20, 2000.

June 22, 1999 - An Avensa 727, bound for Latacunga Airport in Ambato, Venezuela, mistakenly lands at Izamva Airport. (According to some reports, the pilot did not complete the landing but did make contact with the ground.) See "Pilot Attempts Wrong Airport Landing," Associated Press, June 24, 1999.

July 16, 1997 - A Continental Express Embraer 120, bound for Lake Charles, Louisiana, mistakenly lands at Southland Field in Carlyss. See T.J. Milling, "A familiar landmark? Another Continental plane sets down at same, wrong airport," Houston Chronicle, July 19, 1997.

June 2, 1997 - A Saudi Arabian Airlines 747, bound for Madras International Airport in Chennai, India, mistakenly lands at Tambaram Air Force Base.

May 11, 1997 - A Continental Airlines 737, bound for Corpus Christi, Texas, mistakenly lands at Cabaniss Field, an abandoned Navy airfield.

March 27, 1997 - A Sun Pacific International Airlines aircraft, chartered by the Arkansas Razorbacks and bound for Fayetteville, Arkansas, mistakenly lands at Springdale.

December 24, 1996 - An Atlas Air 747 bound for Pinal Air Park in Marana, Arizona mistakenly lands at Avra Valley Airport.

October 15, 1996 - A Nations Air 737, bound for Orlando, Florida, mistakenly lands at Sanford Airport. See "Airline's inaugural flight lands at wrong airport in Orlando," Tampa Tribune, October 16, 1996.

October 3, 1996 - A Continental Express aircraft, bound for Lake Charles, Louisiana, mistakenly lands at Southland Field in Carlyss.

October 17, 1995 - An aircraft chartered on behalf of the White House press corps, bound for Kelly Air Force Base in Texas, mistakenly lands at San Antonio International Airport. See "Press plane lands at wrong airport," United Press International, October 17, 1995.

September 5, 1995 - A Northwest Airlines DC-10, bound for Frankfurt, Germany, mistakenly landed in Brussels, Belgium, approximately 200 miles off course. (In this case, air traffic control has been blamed for providing incorrect flight plan data to the pilots.) See Don Phillips, "U.S. Jet Bound for Germany Mistakenly Lands in Belgium," Washington Post, October 1, 1995.

March 21, 1995 - A Great China Airlines Dash-8, bound for Taipei, Taiwan, mistakenly lands at Penghu Island. (In this case, the airline has been blamed for providing incorrect instructions to the pilot.) See "Misinformed Pilot Lands at Wrong Airport," Associated Press, March 22, 1995.

December 21, 1994 - A United Airlines 757, bound for San Juan, Puerto Rico, mistakenly lands at Fernando Ribas Dominicci Airport (a/k/a Isla Grande Airport). Link. See also "FAA Investigating Landing of United 757 at Wrong Airport," Aviation Daily, December 24, 1994.

May 5, 1993 - A Jet Airways 737, bound for Coimbatore, India, mistakenly lands at Sulur Air Force Base. Link. See also "You have arrived at err..." The Advertiser, May 6, 1993.

March 28, 1991 - An Emerald Airlines 727, bound for Central Wisconsin Airport in Mosinee, mistakenly lands at Wausau Municipal Airport. See Robert Imrie, "Pilot, Co-Pilot of 727 That Landed at Wrong Airport Suspended," Associated Press, May 7, 1991.

November 24, 1990 - A Wings West Fairchild Metro, bound for San Luis Obispo, California, mistakenly lands at Santa Maria Airport. See David Dietz, "Bay Airliner's Landing at Wrong City Probed: Plane Missed Destination By 36 Miles," San Francisco Chronicle, November 27, 1990.

November 8, 1990 - A Continental Express ATR-42, bound for Jackson, Mississippi, mistakenly lands at Hawkins Field. See "National Digest," St. Petersburg Times, November 10, 1990.

March 2, 1989 - A Dan Air BAe 748, bound for Aldergrove Airport in Belfast, Northern Ireland, mistakenly lands at Langford Lodge Airport. See "Flight ends at wrong destination," Independent, March 3, 1989.

September 17, 1988 - A Canadian Airlines 737, bound for Cambridge Bay, Northwest Territories, mistakenly lands at Churchill, Manitoba. (According to some reports, the pilots mis-applied the magnetic variation factor from true north necessary for navigation in high latitudes.) See "Canadian jetliner flew 750 miles off course," Miami Herald, September 25, 1988.

January 21, 1988 - A Piedmont Airlines F-28, bound for Wilmington, North Carolina, mistakenly lands at Albert J. Ellis Airport in Jacksonville. See "Piedmont Jet Lands at Jacksonville Instead of Wilmington," Associated Press, January 23, 1988.

July 7, 1987 - A Delta Air Lines 737, bound for Lexington, Kentucky, mistakenly lands at Capital City Airport in Frankfort.

November 3, 1986 - An Air France 727, bound for Eliat, Israel, mistakenly lands at Aqaba Airport in Jordan. See "Sorry, Wrong Airport," Associated Press, November 3, 1986.

February 3, 1986 - A Piedmont Airlines 737, bound for Bush Field in Augusta, Georgia, mistakenly lands at Daniel Field. See "Piedmont Airlines Flight Lands at Wrong Airport in Augusta," Associated Press, February 4, 1986.

1982 - An Aero Airways DC-8, bound for Stewart International Airport in Newburgh, New York, mistakenly lands at Dutchess County Airport. See Edward Hudson, "Jets Mistake Tiny Airport for Another," New York Times, October 13, 1985. (I have not been able to determine the exact date of this incident, but the report appears to be reliable.)

October 23, 1980 - A Republic Airlines Convair 580 bound for Golden Triangle Municipal Airport in Columbus, Mississippi, mistakenly lands at Columbus-Lowndes County Airport. See "FAA Investigating Errant Landing," Associated Press, November 14, 1980.

July 14, 1980 - A Delta Air Lines 727, bound for Miami, mistakenly lands at Fort Lauderdale. (In this case, air traffic control has been blamed for providing incorrect flight plan data to the pilots.) See "Controller Reprimanded in Wrong Airport Landing," Associated Press, July 25, 1980.

June 20, 1980 - A Delta Air Lines 727, bound for Tampa, Florida, mistakenly lands at MacDill Air Force Base. See Tom Zucco, "The Official Tampa Bay Map of the Weird," St. Petersburg Times, October 18, 1991.

March 1, 1980 - A Republic Airlines DC-9 bound for Golden Triangle Municipal Airport in Columbus, Mississippi, mistakenly lands at Starkville Municipal Airport. See "FAA Investigating Errant Landing," Associated Press, November 14, 1980.

July 31, 1979 - A Western Airlines 737, bound for Sheridan, Wyoming, mistakenly lands at Buffalo. See David Bird and Albin Krebs, "Wyoming Town Fondly Remembers a Mistake," New York Times, July 7, 1981. (Buffalo subsequently honored the pilot with a "Lowell Ferguson Days" celebration.)

April 22, 1978 - A Maverick Air aircraft, bound for Tel Aviv, Israel mistakenly lands at Beirut, Lebanon. See "Cargo Pilot Finds Wrong Airport," Washington Post, April 24, 1978.

March 24, 1977 - A Pan Am 707, bound for Las Americas Airport in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, mistakenly lands at San Isidro Air Force Base. See "Wrong Airport," Aviation Week and Space Technology, April 4, 1977.

August 11, 1976 - An Iraqi Airways 747, bound for Orly Airport in Paris, France, mistakenly lands at Le Bourget Airport. See "Right City, Wrong Airport," New York Times, August 12, 1976.

December 4, 1974 - A Frontier Airlines 737, bound for Salt Lake International Airport in Salt Lake City, Utah, mistakenly lands at Salt Lake Airport No. 2. See "Jet Lands at Wrong Field," New York Times, December 4, 1974.

June 10, 1973 - A United Airlines 727, bound for Miami, mistakenly lands at Opa Locka.

September 24, 1972 - A Japan Airlines DC-8, bound for Bombay, India mistakenly lands at Juhu

[Clayton Bigsby]

Didn't somebody land a C-141 at Adana airport in Turkey instead of Incirlik once?

[Blackjack]

I understand that flying a military aircraft is different from a civilian aircraft, but airmanship is the common thread & there have to be some operational improvements we can develop and share (at least in non-tactical envirinments for mil). Here are a few other "wrong airport" scenarios from around the world in recent years.

No, my wrong airport landing in the mighty C-182 isn't on this list. Neither is NWA landing @ Ellsworth, having intended to land in Rapid City in 2004

Dude care to cite anything better than 2006? For ###### sake look out the window. The runway markings alone should have told these guys it was the wrong airport.

[Toro]

I understand that flying a military aircraft is different from a civilian aircraft, but airmanship is the common thread & there have to be some operational improvements we can develop and share (at least in non-tactical envirinments for mil). Here are a few other "wrong airport" scenarios from around the world in recent years.

No, my wrong airport landing in the mighty C-182 isn't on this list. Neither is NWA landing @ Ellsworth, having intended to land in Rapid City in 2004

<<big long list that nobody cares about>>

What? This isn't the first time somebody landed at the wrong airport? No shit?

It has happened, and will continue to happen. The only reason this is being discussed is because it was an impressive mistake that was caught it on video and it made the news.

[brabus]

It's too much airplane, too much inertia, too much risk to squeeze in maneuvers or events you didn't plan and pre-think ahead of time

Sooo, if something changes and requires you to update your gameplan, "maneuvers," etc. in the air, you just don't do it since it wasn't "pre-thought"? Are you sure you're not part of an Asian Air Force?