USAF C-17 lands on wrong runway

[SteveS]

As there's been no official word yet, it's possible there was an issue which meant they had to go in there.

Steve

[Scorch998]

Just going down the theme of mistaken airfields I'm sure there was an instance of a pair of Kentucky ANG F.4s landing at Norwich airport when they should of been at Coltishall. They may well have been on detachment at Alconbury or Sculthorpe at the time: any body else remember this?.

Ian.

[ArabJazzie]

As there's been no official word yet, it's possible there was an issue which meant they had to go in there.

Steve

I like conspiracy theories and the news reporter mentions something about someone(VIP) departing the airport in a hurry after the aircraft stopped!

Any chance that we can get a repeat of this at Dundee? We have 300m to spare!

I know of one Dundee bound light aircraft landed at Leuchars and an An-74 called finals at Dundee but couldnt see the bridges, until he turned right!!!
Arabest,
Geoff.

[RichC]

MacDill is "home" of Centcom, and this particular C-17A came in from Centcom Region (SE Asia) including Air Refuelling over CONUS. So whatever was onboard was mean't for Centcom at MacDill and so rather important if required AR to get there. I doubt it was that important, just normal procedures for that kind of mission. I bet the crew were damn tired though.

[steve149c]

Im with Rich - they crew may well have been exhausted. It's an easy mistake to make, same runway headings. But hats off to the pilot, he stopped that bird very quick. I noted on the takeoff that he still had runway to spare!

As for the VIP, I bet that was just USAF getting hold of the crew ASAP, before they were able to be identified and interviewed. Standard RAF procedure, crew whisked away.

We had a light aircraft land at Valley on the old 26, when he thought it was Caernarfon! Easily done, both by the sea, both runway heading the same.

[gaviscon]

A C17 easily landed at Cosford with a MH-53 in the cargo hold! Cosford is only 3,800ft and the C17 landed and took off in half the length!!

[graham luxton]

Just going down the theme of mistaken airfields I'm sure there was an instance of a pair of Kentucky ANG F.4s landing at Norwich airport when they should of been at Coltishall. They may well have been on detachment at Alconbury or Sculthorpe at the time: any body else remember this?.

Ian.

Don't remember that but I was at Coltishall during the evening of Mon 12 June'78 (for the arrival of Coronet Heron - 18 x 363TRW RF-4C's) when one of the 2d cell of 6 a/c (67-0466) landed at Norwich Airport! Colt was landing on Runway04 that evening, the same alignment as one of Norwich's 6000ft runways but without the benefit of a radio I'm not sure why this happened. My notes on this say its wingman overshot and landed at Colt so it may have been an emergency landing. As every other a/c made an individual approach and landing the fact that 466 had a wingman with it suggests to me it had a problem.

[XPLUMBER]

I'm amazed that you all seem to think the aircrew did a good thing!

I'm sure they had a one way conversation with their Commanding Officer!

[Ronald Reagan]

They messed up big time buth through their quick actions no real harm was done. IF give then chance they will learn from this. Removing them from flying duties will serve nothing other than destroy their careers and cost money as all the training will have been for nothing. I know we live in a blame based society but hope not much happens to these guys.
What good advertising for the ability of the C-17, what a superb aircraft. That was an amazing stop.

[KINROTATE]

Who was looking out of the tower at McDill? Was it a visual approach - maybe? DME? What a storey!

[ArabJazzie]

I'm amazed that you all seem to think the aircrew did a good thing!

I'm sure they had a one way conversation with their Commanding Officer!

Its something that has happened on several occasions as has been demonstrated by other posters. They recovered a bad situation and everything ended well! Yes they will have a conversation with their superiors but it wont be one way and they will be flying next week again.
Arabest,
Geoff.

[Mikedee]

I remember the Phantom going into Norwich airport........They also had a Lightning arrival on the inactive runway....rumour had it that they were thinking of a "zero four tie" for members of a very exclusive club..

[Pete_uk]

There are two large gas tower things near London with GW and LH painted on them. I believe this was also because of a pilot getting confused over which was Heathrow and Gatwick at one time in history.

[Chef_uk]

An airplane landed at RAF Digby a couple of months ago

[DanBeeden]

Im with Rich - they crew may well have been exhausted. It's an easy mistake to make, same runway headings. But hats off to the pilot, he stopped that bird very quick. I noted on the takeoff that he still had runway to spare!

I'd disagree and say there countless systems, checks and procedures in place to ensure such a loss of situational awareness does not happen. These guys got away with it - but if they'd landed a bit longer they could all have been in the drink and the day would have turned out very differently. A few things spring to mind:

1) Approach briefing - you'd be aware of an airfield situated like this on the undershoot to MacDill as it would be flagged up on the approach charts.
2) What about the ILS for MacDill - glideslope would be off the scale and DME would be telling you something was wrong.
3) Weather - given it was a nice day vis was fine and you'd expect that alarm bells would start ringing given the difference in size of these two airfields.
4) Final approach checks/decision height - still nothing looking a bit odd?
5) Strange there was no intervention from ATC who would have seen (on radar or possibly visually) an odd situation developing.

If this turns out to be purely an error of judgement, I'd be surprised if the crew were flying again anytime soon.

All best

Dan

[ArabJazzie]

I'd disagree and say there countless systems, checks and procedures in place to ensure such a loss of situational awareness does not happen. These guys got away with it - but if they'd landed a bit longer they could all have been in the drink and the day would have turned out very differently. A few things spring to mind:

1) Approach briefing - you'd be aware of an airfield situated like this on the undershoot to MacDill as it would be flagged up on the approach charts.
2) What about the ILS for MacDill - glideslope would be off the scale and DME would be telling you something was wrong.
3) Weather - given it was a nice day vis was fine and you'd expect that alarm bells would start ringing given the difference in size of these two airfields.
4) Final approach checks/decision height - still nothing looking a bit odd?
5) Strange there was no intervention from ATC who would have seen (on radar or possibly visually) an odd situation developing.

If this turns out to be purely an error of judgement, I'd be surprised if the crew were flying again anytime soon.

All best

Dan

Im not a pilot but have been around pilots for a number of years and i thought during a loss of situational awareness, you might brief something but then ignore it. You then also stop believing what your instruments are telling you and carry on regardless anyway! Then if you brain is in the mists of the situation, you doubt what your senses are telling you. I tell you what though! At 500m, they snapped out of it damn quick! And i understand fatigue is a very big factor!

Shouldnt ban them from flying! A wee bit of training and send em back out!
Arabest,
Geoff.

[gonk]

What about the GDR mig 21 landing at gatow,did a quick 180 and shot off in the right direction before the runway was blocked.

[ArabJazzie]

Was reminded last night of what i believe is one of the better misidentify incidents! Ok, not a landing but would have been great to watch!!!

Anyone remember the B-1B at Blackbushe??? Should have been Farnborough!!!

I also heard of an aircraft that departed Dundee then ran into a bit of trouble and turned back. They didnt make it back to Dundee but with permission, landed at Leuchars, jumped out and looking around puzzled, turned to those that greeted them, "Is this Aberdeen then?"
Arabest,
Geoff.

[C24]

Was there not a case in the UK where a airliner accidentally landed at a air base instead of where he was supposed to land??

Thats one hell of a stop mind!

Was it a BAC 111 of BEA landing at RAF Northolt instead of Heathrow? During the early '70s.

[ArabJazzie]

Hi, Arab. With respect, I am going to put this Blackbushe/Farnborough incident to rest once and for all. It crops up so many times, but I do have the answer. It was a B.52,not a B.1 and it was an ATC cock-up that asked him to slow his speed by a rate that he said was completely impossible to achieve. The pilot said that what he was asked to do was passed to him far, far too late for him to comply, so he overshot to one side, did, as far as I remember, one pass over Blackbushe at a safe height, and, because of timing, fuel considerations etc., returned to the States. So I hope this puts it to bed once and for all, for it crops up every year. [information to me via a Heathrow ATC officer, and others] Good story, tho', but no, he didn't do it wrong, ATC did.Hope you don't mind the correction. There are, over the years, many instances of mis-identification of airfields, resulting in airfield incursions etc. There was once an RF4E from Lakenheath that started it's display at Cambridge Airport instead of Duxford!!!. Quite a famous one, that.!! Regards, John.

There is no chance of that one getting put to bed! Its too good a story for most to not pass on! I will put the correction to the person who reminded me though!
Arabest,
Geoff.