767 Lands on Taxiway M at ATL

Again!?

I find it extremely good advice to always have a final course guidance active. Localizer, gps, vor, anything that will alert you should you line up for the wrong runway, or even a taxiway. Especially at large, parrallel dominant airports.
 
bLizZuE said:
Again!?

I find it extremely good advice to always have a final course guidance active. Localizer, gps, vor, anything that will alert you should you line up for the wrong runway, or even a taxiway. Especially at large, parrallel dominant airports.
Click to expand...

The problem is, those guidance helpers may not have the accuracy to differentiate between a runway and close taxiway. It really comes down to just double checking what you're lined up on. Runway markings in the day vs taxiway markings; white lights vs blue lights at night.

One good thing for airports to do is what KTUS does: For day ops, KTUS on RW29R, the parallel taxiway A's taxiway line from the beginning at A1 to almost A2 starts out as a yellow squiggly line with the large letters T-A-X-I reading up the taxiway. Shown here (zoom into the approach end of RW 29R and see):

http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&s...code_result&ct=title&resnum=1&ved=0CAwQ8gEwAA
 
I can't help but think of the firestorm on new stations and web-boards if this was a regional aircraft involved instead of a heavy mainline aircraft.
 
MikeD said:
The problem is, those guidance helpers may not have the accuracy to differentiate between a runway and close taxiway. It really comes down to just double checking what you're lined up on. Runway markings in the day vs taxiway markings; white lights vs blue lights at night.
Click to expand...

My advice should have included; there is no substitute for visual confirmation of the landing surface.

I think with exception to a vor, the guidance should be adaquate to at least hint an error. Especially a localizer antenna
 
They're lucky that there were no planes on that taxiway....odd for an airport as busy as ATL.

On the flipside, had there been an aircraft or multiple aircraft on that taxiway, that likely would've gotten the crew's attention quick that something was awry.
 
A different carrier did this on Taxiway Z (paralells 11-29) in EWR a few years back with a 757. They had been cleared on rwy 29.

Ground told them to "turn left, contact ramp", and they asked "are we cleared to cross 29?" :D

I'm asking for bad karma with this post. Let's just be thankful there were was really no harm done in either case.
 
Murdoughnut said:
I'm pretty colorblind, but how do you not tell blue taxiway lights from white/green runway lights?
Click to expand...

West-coast'er question here, but would the runway/taxiway lights be on at post-0600ish in ATL this time of year (as the article states)? Or is it past sunrise where the dawn light is actually useable?
 
MikeD said:
The problem is, those guidance helpers may not have the accuracy to differentiate between a runway and close taxiway. It really comes down to just double checking what you're lined up on. Runway markings in the day vs taxiway markings; white lights vs blue lights at night.

One good thing for airports to do is what KTUS does: For day ops, KTUS on RW29R, the parallel taxiway A's taxiway line from the beginning at A1 to almost A2 starts out as a yellow squiggly line with the large letters T-A-X-I reading up the taxiway. Shown here (zoom into the approach end of RW 29R and see):

http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&s...code_result&ct=title&resnum=1&ved=0CAwQ8gEwAA
Click to expand...

Actually, that is A17 and A15. ;) I do feel like a dummy. I taxied all the way out to A17 last monday and was wondering what I-X-A-T spelled.
~D
 
MikeD said:
West-coast'er question here, but would the runway/taxiway lights be on at post-0600ish in ATL this time of year (as the article states)? Or is it past sunrise where the dawn light is actually useable?
Click to expand...

The sun would just be coming up and in your eyes at the time of the landing (if landing 9L). I haven't heard if they were using east or west flow.
 
Trip7 said:
I can't help but think of the firestorm on new stations and web-boards if this was a regional aircraft involved instead of a heavy mainline aircraft.
Click to expand...

Don't forget about congressional meetings and government interventions calling for kneejerk reactions to raising hiring mins, pay, etc. etc.

:bandit:
 
MikeD said:
The problem is, those guidance helpers may not have the accuracy to differentiate between a runway and close taxiway. It really comes down to just double checking what you're lined up on. Runway markings in the day vs taxiway markings; white lights vs blue lights at night.
Click to expand...

We all make mistakes, and I could easily do the same thing. However, a localizer is awfully sensitive very close to the runway. And if you're flying into the sun it would be a good idea to keep the flight director up. I'm not sure about the avionics on the 767, but in the CRJ the localizer would be flashing yellow and the flight director would show a pretty good turn to the right/left is required to maintain runway centerline.
 
I actually know a guy who landed an SR22 on a taxiway at SEA then when he was asked about it by ATC he said "By the time I realized it on short final I was committed to the landing.":confused:

Yeah...takes a whole lot of pre-planning to go around in a Cirrus.
 
Trip7 said:
Well there was a medical emergency so maybe it was intentional
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If it intentional and planned to get that person to the terminal as fast as possible, why would they not have landed on "L"? How much time would you save by landing on "M" over 9L/27R? 10 seconds? Plus if it was intentional why would the crew be suspended for the time being and it make the news?

I also can't imagine that an airline would allow landing on a taxiway that doesn't have weight ratings etc, unless it was a "this plane will crash otherwise" emergency. I.e. going to BDA on a VMC day and the plane infront of you gears up on the one runway, and you don't have fuel for ACK.
 
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