Oops

[allds83]

http://www.kplctv.com/story/1541912...e-lands-in-sulphur-by-mistake?redirected=true

SULPHUR, LA (KPLC) -

It happened again. Passengers aboard a Continental Express plane bound for Lake Charles were delayed after the plan landed outside of Sulphur by mistake Wednesday night.

The aircraft landed at Southland Field outside Sulphur instead. Sam Larsh, airport manager tells 7News the plane, coming from Houston, was scheduled to land at 10:30 p.m.

"This has happened here three times in the last 15 years or so," Larsh said. "It's an easy mistake to make."

The Lake Charles and Southland Field runways are the same layout and both Lake Charles Regional and Southland Field are the same latitude, but different longitudes according to Larsh.

"The runways again are based on prevailing winds, so airports in this area all have similar runway headings," he said.

The air traffic control tower at Lake Charles Regional is not staffed after 10 p.m., which may have added to the confusion, officials said.

The aircraft was still parked at Southland Field Thursday morning and was returned to George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston Thursday afternoon.

 

[Sol Rosenburg]

Is it not standard practice to always set up a nav (ils or otherwise) as sops for these situations?

 

[Teller1900]

Wasn't there a terminal here last time?

It happened again. Passengers aboard a Continental Express plane bound for Lake Charles were delayed after the plan landed outside of Carlyss by mistake Wednesday night.

[url]http://m.kplctv.com/ms/p/a3/66/view.m?id=124279&storyId=15419129&news=Top+Stories&news2=Main


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[BTpilot]

Re: Wasn't there a terminal here last time?

I love my friends at Colgan and all, but jeez guys.

 

[JumpWake]

Re: Wasn't there a terminal here last time?

Ouch. Sounds like the NW guys back in '04 that put it into Ellsworth instead of RAP...Popped out of the layer, saw a runway that looked somewhat right and landed...whoopsie.

 

[MikeD]

Re: Wasn't there a terminal here last time?

Ouch. Sounds like the NW guys back in '04 that put it into Ellsworth instead of RAP...Popped out of the layer, saw a runway that looked somewhat right and landed...whoopsie.

Has happened a few times. CAL landed at Cabaniss NOLF instead of Corpus Intl in '97.

 

[BE19Pilot]

Re: Wasn't there a terminal here last time?

Just what we needed around here....more publicity

 

[Nick]

Has happened a few times. CAL landed at Cabaniss NOLF instead of Corpus Intl in '97.

The juggernaut is the Northwest Airlines DC-10 that landed in the wrong country.

Brussels was observed out the windows when the destination on the flight plan was Frankfurt.

 

[Polar742]

Re: Wasn't there a terminal here last time?

I love my friends at Colgan and all, but jeez guys.

EVERY airline has done this. EVERY AIRLINE.

 

[Cruise]

Re: Wasn't there a terminal here last time?

I love my friends at Colgan and all, but jeez guys.

Ok, oh master of the sky? Who are you flying for.....because I'd bet we could easily dig up plenty of dirt on most, if not all, companies out there. Mistakes happen. You must have all the information as to why it happened too!?! Perhaps you'd share the details so we can all look down our noses?

EVERY airline has done this. EVERY AIRLINE.

Exactly!

 

[BTpilot]

Re: Wasn't there a terminal here last time?

Ok, oh master of the sky? Who are you flying for.....because I'd bet we could easily dig up plenty of dirt on most, if not all, companies out there. Mistakes happen. You must have all the information as to why it happened too!?! Perhaps you'd share the details so we can all look down our noses?

EVERY airline has done this. EVERY AIRLINE.

Gentleman, gentleman.. I meant no harm. I understand we ALLLLLL make mistakes. Many of them.

Just like BE19 pilot said, not what you guys need right now.

Just like my company doesn't need anymore damn MX delays.. but we do.. everyday.

 

[Polar742]

Re: Wasn't there a terminal here last time?

I love my friends at Colgan and all, but jeez guys.

Gentleman, gentleman.. I meant no harm. I understand we ALLLLLL make mistakes. Many of them.

Just like BE19 pilot said, not what you guys need right now.

Just like my company doesn't need anymore damn MX delays.. but we do.. everyday.

I don't work at Colgan, I have no dog in the fight.

You came across as throwing rocks in the glass house. The crew screwed up. At my last airline, we had a crew do the same. In a glass jet, they decided to fly "Old Skool" and scoff the procedures. Wrong airport.

Oh, it made ESPN.....

 

[Hacker15e]

Re: Wasn't there a terminal here last time?

At my last airline, we had a crew do the same. In a glass jet, they decided to fly "Old Skool" and scoff the procedures. Wrong airport.

Oh, it made ESPN.....

Despite my desk-beating about reliance on automation, it equally amazes me when people don't use the magic to back themselves up.

Can you expound on the procedures they ignored that led to the navigation error (not sure what is company sensitive...)?

 

[Cruise]

Re: Wasn't there a terminal here last time?

Gentleman, gentleman.. I meant no harm. I understand we ALLLLLL make mistakes. Many of them.

Just like BE19 pilot said, not what you guys need right now.

Just like my company doesn't need anymore damn MX delays.. but we do.. everyday.

Thanks for the clarification. After all, like Polar said, your tone came across as being very condescending. It just so happens I AM familiar (no, wasn't me) with how this all went down and, like any incident, there is no simple reason as to WHY it happened. After the dust has settled, perhaps we can go into greater details. But for now, things are not always as they seem and anyone can make a mistake.

We'd all do well to remember it could, and does, happen to all of us at one point or another. Best to use events like this as learning tools to help prevent it in the future.

 

[Polar742]

Re: Wasn't there a terminal here last time?

Can you expound on the procedures they ignored that led to the navigation error (not sure what is company sensitive...)?

Naw...totally cool

They were aiming at SBN, which is in the middle of the city. Another neat deal is that they HATE to turn up the runway lights so the airport blends quite well into the city.

They ended up at Elkhart IN, which has the same runway direction, is just south (kind of like the deal going into El Paso, but much more separation).

They scrolled the MFD (moving map page) to full scale and chose not to tune in an ILS. Those are the major pertinent details.

Link

 

[wheelsup]

Re: Wasn't there a terminal here last time?

I thought calling an airport "in sight" meant you saw it on the MFD

 

[Hacker15e]

Re: Wasn't there a terminal here last time?

chose not to tune in an ILS.

Which, I assume, is what is required by company policy?

Landing at the wrong airport is, unfortunately, one of those unforgivable aviation sins. Ouch, indeed.

 

[Snuggle]

Was it a Saab?

 

[Snuggle]

oops, yea it's a saab. I guess it helps to click the link.

 

[wheelsup]

Re: Wasn't there a terminal here last time?

Which, I assume, is what is required by company policy?

Landing at the wrong airport is, unfortunately, one of those unforgivable aviation sins. Ouch, indeed.

E

Even less so than landing on a taxiway