Realizing You Just Landed At The Wrong Airport

By Colin Cutler
10/28/2016
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It's a feeling nobody wants. Realizing you just landed at the wrong airport.

That's exactly what happened to a C-17 crew bound for MacDill Air Force Base. Instead of touching down at the air force base, they put their wheels down at Knight airport (KTPF), a 3500' runway just northeast of MacDill. Fortunately, they had enough pavement to stop, and take off again.

It's a problem that's happened before, but there is a way to prevent it. Backing up a visual approach with a navaid every time ensures you're lined up for the right runway, at the right airport, even when airports with the same runway numbers are in close proximity.

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Video via: thewebworks

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Colin Cutler

Colin is a Boldmethod co-founder and lifelong pilot. He's been a flight instructor at the University of North Dakota, an airline pilot on the CRJ-200, and has directed the development of numerous commercial and military training systems. You can reach him at colin@boldmethod.com.

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