PSUPilot
Well-Known Member
Here\'s a good story...
While finishing up my flight training (almost done with my commercial), I have worked for over 2 years now at US Airways Express in State College, PA (graduated from PSU last May), which is Allegheny Airlines operating with Dash 8's.
January 4, we started to get a few Shuttle America flights in here operating for US Airways Express as well.
Last Friday, two pilots for Shuttle America flew their Saab 340 into the wrong airport. Yes, they landed at an airport about 13 nm away from University Park airport (KUNV), called Mid-State Airport (KPSB). 8 passengers were on board at the time. The passengers eventually de-planed and a van came to pick them up. The pilots meanwhile, eventually ferried the plane into University Park. (They were not allowed to take any passengers since it was an unproven field for airlines.) Fortunately, that crew was supposed to be done for the day. The outgoing flight out of State College was later cancelled, and the pilots who made the error were told to deadhead back home, where I would assume they will begin their retirement from the airline industry.
Now, these pilots made very stupid mistakes. First, it was a crystal clear day in central PA. Second, there is a PSB VOR very near the Philipsburg airport, whereas KUNV is about 13 nm away. Third, the altitude of KPSB is roughly 1000 ft higher than KUNV! So something should have clicked when they were getting low and altitudes did not match up. Fourth...although runway numbers are similar and arranged similarly, the cross runway at KPSB is roughly 3000 ft longer than the cross runway at KUNV! Lastly, the Philipsburg airport is pretty much desolate, with no major roads nearby, no town nearby, and even more obvious, no Penn State campus, and no 110,000 seat football stadium, which is vitually over the normal traffic pattern for left downwind for 24 at KUNV!
So as far as I'm concerned, these pilots did not do any homework before departing from Pittsburgh that afternoon. We have many other crews who have never been in to KUNV, and who manage to find the airport without any problem.
Here is a link to the story, which is just now making national headlines.
http://www.centredaily.com/mld/centredaily/news/7716354.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp
While finishing up my flight training (almost done with my commercial), I have worked for over 2 years now at US Airways Express in State College, PA (graduated from PSU last May), which is Allegheny Airlines operating with Dash 8's.
January 4, we started to get a few Shuttle America flights in here operating for US Airways Express as well.
Last Friday, two pilots for Shuttle America flew their Saab 340 into the wrong airport. Yes, they landed at an airport about 13 nm away from University Park airport (KUNV), called Mid-State Airport (KPSB). 8 passengers were on board at the time. The passengers eventually de-planed and a van came to pick them up. The pilots meanwhile, eventually ferried the plane into University Park. (They were not allowed to take any passengers since it was an unproven field for airlines.) Fortunately, that crew was supposed to be done for the day. The outgoing flight out of State College was later cancelled, and the pilots who made the error were told to deadhead back home, where I would assume they will begin their retirement from the airline industry.
Now, these pilots made very stupid mistakes. First, it was a crystal clear day in central PA. Second, there is a PSB VOR very near the Philipsburg airport, whereas KUNV is about 13 nm away. Third, the altitude of KPSB is roughly 1000 ft higher than KUNV! So something should have clicked when they were getting low and altitudes did not match up. Fourth...although runway numbers are similar and arranged similarly, the cross runway at KPSB is roughly 3000 ft longer than the cross runway at KUNV! Lastly, the Philipsburg airport is pretty much desolate, with no major roads nearby, no town nearby, and even more obvious, no Penn State campus, and no 110,000 seat football stadium, which is vitually over the normal traffic pattern for left downwind for 24 at KUNV!
So as far as I'm concerned, these pilots did not do any homework before departing from Pittsburgh that afternoon. We have many other crews who have never been in to KUNV, and who manage to find the airport without any problem.
Here is a link to the story, which is just now making national headlines.
http://www.centredaily.com/mld/centredaily/news/7716354.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp
