Silver Airways Saab Lands At Wrong Airport

v1valarob

Well-Known Member
An apparent airline pilot error has left a Silver Airlines plane stranded at a small airport in Fairmont Wednesday morning.

Marion County Airport Authority President Tom Mainella said that the pilot of a Saab 340 Turbo Prop airplane thought he was landing in Clarksburg, when he touched down at the Fairmont Municipal Airport-Frankman Field around 11:30 p.m. Tuesday.

The twin engine airplane weighs 22,000 pounds while the runway is only rated for 12,500 pounds.

Mainella said the airline plans to lighten the plane by pulling out all the seats and perform a short field take off under cooler temperatures.

Plans are still underway for Silver Airlines to hold its inaugural flight at the North Central West Virginia Airport in Bridgeport Wednesday.

http://m.wboy.com/default.aspx?pid=...airmont-municipal-airport?clienttype=rssstory
 
Doh...

Can't just get an exemption to operate the airplane on the runway? Really have to get it down to 12,500lbs? Lol
 
We do have an FMS in the Saab.

I'm just confused over how this kind of mistake can happen with that sort of equipment available. At my operation, everything is loaded into the GPS, including an instrument approach, even with CAVU weather while operating VFR. If I ever lined up on the wrong airport, I'd have half a dozen cues indicating my error.

Hopefully somebody learns something from this, I guess.
 
I wasn't there and I don't know what happened but, those are two airports that are hard to confuse for the same.
 
I'm just confused over how this kind of mistake can happen with that sort of equipment available. At my operation, everything is loaded into the GPS, including an instrument approach, even with CAVU weather while operating VFR. If I ever lined up on the wrong airport, I'd have half a dozen cues indicating my error.

Hopefully somebody learns something from this, I guess.

It's an easy mistake depending on the type of approach.

I saw, in the mad dog, pilots trying to 'macho it up' a little by calling the airport, clicking all of the automation off and attempting to shoot the visual... to the wrong airport.

Some guys don't do the 'mental math' either. If you're 15 miles out, you're somewhat on the PAPI, you're 2500 feet and your GS is full scale (if you even have it tuned-in), that dog don't hunt.

Stay out of the news, follow the FOM.
 
Stay out of the news, follow the FOM.
Wise words, indeed.

I'm always intrigued by how these things get going. Obviously much of it has to do with the individual pilot, but the overall culture of the pilot group and training department can be big factors as well. Retraining a pilot is easy, while shifting the safety culture of an entire organization can be tricky, to say the least.
 
I'm just confused over how this kind of mistake can happen with that sort of equipment available. At my operation, everything is loaded into the GPS, including an instrument approach, even with CAVU weather while operating VFR. If I ever lined up on the wrong airport, I'd have half a dozen cues indicating my error.

I totallly agree with this. Not sure about some other captains, but when I was flying out of IAD a couple of days ago, myself and the FO were both flying up there for the first time and we were borderline paranoid about checking and rechecking our position to make sure we had the right airport. Even to the point that I made a comment about not wanting to land at the wrong airport...
 
This is why, even in visual conditions, I always have an approach loaded up in the FMS to follow. If it ain't lining up with the runway, somethings not right! Unless, of course, you're in the simulator and it draws the runway in the wrong spot and you're perfectly on course and glide. :)
 
Doh...

Can't just get an exemption to operate the airplane on the runway? Really have to get it down to 12,500lbs? Lol

I was thinking the same thing, over at AirTran we'll bring our 737 on charters into places where the double wheel is considerably lower.

Sent from my LS670 using Tapatalk 2
 
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