Uhhh....You're Already on The Taxiway

JEP

Does It Really Matter....?
Staff member
Uhhh....You\'re Already on The Taxiway

A rarity (luckily no traffic on the Taxiway) I would hope. I know it is a bad mark, but is this Crew on the "bad" list for the rest of their career? Does it stay on your record forever?
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NTSB Identification: SEA04IA035
Scheduled 14 CFR Non-U.S., Commercial operation of Air Canada Jazz (D.B.A. Canada Jazz)
Incident occurred Monday, January 19, 2004 in Seattle, WA
Aircraft: de Havilland DHC-8, registration: C-GTAQ
Injuries: 35 Uninjured.

This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed.

On January 19, 2004, at 1138 Pacific standard time, the flight crew of a de Havilland DHC-8, C-GTAQ, inadvertently landed on Taxiway Tango at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, Seattle, Washington. There were no injuries to the Captain, First Officer, Flight Attendant, or any of the 32 passengers. There was no damage to the aircraft, which is owned and operated by Air Canada Jazz. The 14 CFR Part 129 scheduled air carrier flight, which departed Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, about 45 minutes prior to the incident, was landing in visual meteorological conditions. The aircraft had been on an IFR flight plan.

According to the flight crew, they were cleared by Seattle Center for a visual approach to Runway 16 Right. They contacted Seattle-Tacoma Tower when they were near Elliot Bay, and were cleared to land on Runway 16 Right, number two behind a 737 that was then touching down. Because of the distance between their position and the preceding 737, neither flight crew member saw the aircraft they were sequenced behind. The Captain, who was flying at the time, therefore aligned the aircraft with what he felt sure was Runway 16 Right. He then continued on the approach, and completed what to him seemed to be an uneventful landing. Soon after the aircraft touched down, the tower advised the flight crew that they had landed on Taxiway Tango.

The Captain said that when they lined up on final approach, there was an overcast over the approach end of the runway, bright sunshine to the south of the airport, and a glare on the runway surface. According to him, this caused the area around the approach end of the runway to appear as one dark color, making it hard to differentiate between Runway 16 Right and Taxiway Tango. He further stated that he had been into Seattle-Tacoma Airport many times before, and was aware of the large "X" just off the north end of Taxiway Tango. But, according to the Captain, because of the contrast between the runway glare and the dark area around the approach end, he did not notice that he had flown over the "X" just prior to touchdown.

In a later discussion with the Investigator-In-Charge (IIC), the Captain stated that it was his opinion that lights on the aforementioned "X" and spaced-interval visual clues painted on the taxiway would probably have alerted him to the misidentification of the landing surface in time to execute a safe go-around.
 
Re: Uhhh....You\'re Already on The Taxiway

Imagine being a pilot-passenger, and knowing what was going on...

And why didn't the FO say something??

hmmm.....
 
Re: Uhhh....You\'re Already on The Taxiway

Seems to me it was everyone's fault BUT the Capt's. At least that's the way he makes it seem. "I've been here several time, and I didn't see the 'X'." "Oh, the sun was in my eyes!" "The shadow made it look like one big runway." "The sequencing was bad, and I couldn't see the 737 touch down."

Hey jack, look up the definition of Pilot In Command and take responsibility for your own actions.
 
Re: Uhhh....You\'re Already on The Taxiway

Three words ... TUNE THE LOCALIZER.

When I was in the jumpseat at Continental, whenever there was an ILS or localizer serving our landing runway, it would be dialed in for backup, even if it was severe clear and we were doing a visual. In glass/FMS-equipped aircraft, many pilots would draw a five-mile extended centerline for their landing runway. Great situational awareness tool.

If the glare was bad enough to obscure the runway from the taxiway, that is, in my opinion, a restriction to visibility every bit as much as fog or snow, and should dictate flying the instrument approach.

I'm not one to Monday-morning-quarterback too many incidents, but this one seems pretty simple to have avoided. Thankfully, no real harm came of it.

FL270
 
Re: Uhhh....You\'re Already on The Taxiway

Also ... to accept a visual approach clearance, one must have either the preceding aircraft or the runway in sight ... these guys admit they didn't see the prior airplane and the airport was "murky" ... step one in this chain was accepting a visual approach clearance under those circumstances.

FL270
 
Re: Uhhh....You\'re Already on The Taxiway

[ QUOTE ]
these guys admit they didn't see the prior airplane and the airport was "murky" ... step one in this chain was accepting a visual approach clearance under those circumstances.


[/ QUOTE ]

I agree totally with FL270. I've heard of alot of private/business jet pilots accidentally lining up with a taxiway parallel to the runway for that same reason. They accepted a visual approach when they shouldn't have. All it takes is a look at the airport diagram before landing to see if there is something parallel to the runway that could be confused for the runway. Hopefully, all that have made that error only do it once without resulting in any injury or fatality.
 
Re: Uhhh....You\'re Already on The Taxiway

I remember reading a few months, perhaps a year ago about a China Airlines Airbus taking off from an active taxiway in ANC.
 
Re: Uhhh....You\'re Already on The Taxiway

I can't even count anymore how many times I've landed or departed from a taxiway! Definitely over a dozen.


(Those who have flown into CMI know what I'm talking about...)
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Re: Uhhh....You\'re Already on The Taxiway

I've done the same thing, Matt, only it was GPM in January 1999 ... try doing single-engine landings in the Seminole on a taxiway!

FL270
 
Re: Uhhh....You\'re Already on The Taxiway

I think the parallel taxiway in Lakeland becomes a parallel runway during Sun N Fun.
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Re: Uhhh....You\'re Already on The Taxiway

When I lived in Lakeland, they would use the runway, the taxiway and the grass next to the taxi was as runways. I remember planes landing 3 at a time on the same runway also. Seemed crazy.
 
Re: Uhhh....You\'re Already on The Taxiway

I talked to my friend yesterday, and I think we're going to fly a Sundowner into Sun N Fun this year. Should be interesting....
 
Re: Uhhh....You\'re Already on The Taxiway

Kellwolf - let me know when you're going to be down here and I'll try to meet up with you.

As for planes landing on the runway, taxiway and grass parallel to the runway at LAL ....no wonder Sun-N-Fun is called the "Great Die In".
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Re: Uhhh....You\'re Already on The Taxiway

Might be sooner than that. Now that my wife has a job, I can start flying again. I was thinking about flying over to Tampa in the next couple of weeks since I've never dealt with their Class B. Can't be any worse than Orlando.
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Re: Uhhh....You\'re Already on The Taxiway

Ooooh yes it can. They get quite testy (testes?) sometimes.
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Drop me a line when you head this way.
 
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