aircraft landing at the wrong airfield
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Channel Mixup
I was once told of an incident that happened in the early 70s with two Channel Airways Viscounts out of Southend. There was one departing for Jersey and one for Guernsey at the same time. Somehow, the traffic staff got the aircraft mixed up and boarded both pax loads on the wrong aircraft.
Both were full loads so the pax totals were the same. Nothing was noticed until after take off when the usual "our flying time to ...." announcements were made and the pax started to ask some awkward questions. After some discussion on company frequency it was decided to change destinations of each aircraft to match where the pax wanted to go and some embarrassing calls were made to London Control changing flightplans en route.
All then went well until after landing when it was discovered the baggage loaders had been more on the ball than the traffic staff and had loaded all the luggage in the correct aircraft! Each aircraft then had to make an extra trip to return the luggage to the respective pax. Lucky GCI and JER are just a few minutes flight from each other.
Both were full loads so the pax totals were the same. Nothing was noticed until after take off when the usual "our flying time to ...." announcements were made and the pax started to ask some awkward questions. After some discussion on company frequency it was decided to change destinations of each aircraft to match where the pax wanted to go and some embarrassing calls were made to London Control changing flightplans en route.
All then went well until after landing when it was discovered the baggage loaders had been more on the ball than the traffic staff and had loaded all the luggage in the correct aircraft! Each aircraft then had to make an extra trip to return the luggage to the respective pax. Lucky GCI and JER are just a few minutes flight from each other.
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There was an event recently in the North-West of the UK. A Cirrus owner/pilot (allegedly sterotypically considered by some as the aeronautical equivelant of a BMW car owner) carried out an impecable circuit and landed. When requesting taxi instructions no-one answered. He did enjoy the attention of the rapidly inbound military escort. After being advised that he had arrived unannounced and ruined SATCO's day at RAF Valley, he was rumoured to have commented:
'I thought it was strange having all these fast jets at Caernarfon'.
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'I thought it was strange having all these fast jets at Caernarfon'.
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Thought police antagonist
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Syerston..mid 70's...gliding with 4C's.....on duty pilot day. Light a/c lands and duly taxi's to the launch point....go to investigate said unexpected visitor and out pops "mature gentleman and, er,much younger lady"....put 2+2 together and ask them to wait by a/c until I have spoken to "higher authority"...cough..aka the troops. Return with grom faced troops and begin questioning said gentleman.....all very serious here of course....seems he has mstaken Syerston for er, Sywell.....lots of um ! / ah ! from the troops....then ask for all his details "MoD property, Official Secrets Act" blah, blah ( like a lamb to the slaugher at this point 
)...much consternation from said gentlman including the "Mr Smith" routine and "need to be discreet here" etc......alas...full name etc duly provided....strict warning given etc....gentleman and bemused pax depart for Sywell....had he had rear view mirrors, the sight of the masses convulsed with laughter as he departed may not have endeared him towards us.....
)...much consternation from said gentlman including the "Mr Smith" routine and "need to be discreet here" etc......alas...full name etc duly provided....strict warning given etc....gentleman and bemused pax depart for Sywell....had he had rear view mirrors, the sight of the masses convulsed with laughter as he departed may not have endeared him towards us.....
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Wrong airfield
Lightning doing circuit at Scampton thinking it (he) was at Binbrook and talking to Binbrook local...
Scampton pick up phone to tell Binbrook of "errant" Lightning not talking to it...Binbrook jump on bandwagon and permit said Lightning to land....much hilarity all round.
Now call me a bluff old traditionalist.....but check compass....
In those days everyone had a sense of humour...
Scampton pick up phone to tell Binbrook of "errant" Lightning not talking to it...Binbrook jump on bandwagon and permit said Lightning to land....much hilarity all round.
Now call me a bluff old traditionalist.....but check compass....
In those days everyone had a sense of humour...
Just another number
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The VC10 Sharjah incident was Dubai. Approaching Dubai from the east they were cleared overhead the airfield then a 270 degree turn to the left onto finals. Unfortunately there was a very strong westerley wind, so when they rolled out of the turn they were nicely lined up with Sharjah.
After landing, having realised their mistake, they contacted Sharjah tower and got permission for an immediate take-off. On arriving at Dubai they kept the flight deck door closed while they completed the paperwork for the 'extra' sector.
Both airfields were very different places in the early 70's from the modern, busy places that they are today.
Dave
PS. Speedbird48 is correct in that they turned around at the end of the runway and took off in the other direction. They were forgiven for the incident due to the very long duty day that they had completed. The story was told to me by the captain (LH).
After landing, having realised their mistake, they contacted Sharjah tower and got permission for an immediate take-off. On arriving at Dubai they kept the flight deck door closed while they completed the paperwork for the 'extra' sector.
Both airfields were very different places in the early 70's from the modern, busy places that they are today.
Dave
PS. Speedbird48 is correct in that they turned around at the end of the runway and took off in the other direction. They were forgiven for the incident due to the very long duty day that they had completed. The story was told to me by the captain (LH).
Last edited by Captain Airclues; 1st Jul 2009 at 23:22. Reason: To add PS
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At the time of the Sharjah VC10 incident the word among the local aviation community was that the crew realised the error while still on the approach but committed to a touchdown, from the large number of visual cues that it might not be DXB, and then did a roller, followed by positioning (radar?) back on to the approach to DXB. The rumour added that the Captain was done for taking off without clearance.
It was a very hazy day with poor visibility.
However, Capt Airclues version may be more accurate, if not such a good story.
It was a very hazy day with poor visibility.
However, Capt Airclues version may be more accurate, if not such a good story.
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Well thanks for that, but Capt Airclues' edit makes it even more authoritative. But I'm in no position to laugh...
On route from Le Touquet to Nice one day long ago I decided to land asap in the face of a terrific squall line in front; I chose Orange from my 1:500,000 map, looked them up, changed the crystal (it was an ex-RAF trainer) and approached straight-in in very heavy rain and gusts. Having just had clearance to land I assumed that the red flares were for someone else. It was Orange Military, about 4 miles west of the coivil airport, I think, with a more or less parallel runway.
Released from military jail later that day I continued to Nice, then Urbe. There I had a radio failure, and was cleared next morning to fly non-radio at 1000ft to Ciampino, approach straight in and land, as soon as I got a green from the tower. So I flew across Rome to what I guessed was Ciampino on my 1:500,000 map; it and Fuimicino were very close with one name above and one below. Landing at Ciampino I crossed the threshold only to see a B707 taking off across my bows towards the west. So I turned left rapidly and flew at 100ft to Ciampino, landing some 5-10 minutes later. It seemed that no-one noticed.
I claim the record. Twice in 2 days.
On route from Le Touquet to Nice one day long ago I decided to land asap in the face of a terrific squall line in front; I chose Orange from my 1:500,000 map, looked them up, changed the crystal (it was an ex-RAF trainer) and approached straight-in in very heavy rain and gusts. Having just had clearance to land I assumed that the red flares were for someone else. It was Orange Military, about 4 miles west of the coivil airport, I think, with a more or less parallel runway.
Released from military jail later that day I continued to Nice, then Urbe. There I had a radio failure, and was cleared next morning to fly non-radio at 1000ft to Ciampino, approach straight in and land, as soon as I got a green from the tower. So I flew across Rome to what I guessed was Ciampino on my 1:500,000 map; it and Fuimicino were very close with one name above and one below. Landing at Ciampino I crossed the threshold only to see a B707 taking off across my bows towards the west. So I turned left rapidly and flew at 100ft to Ciampino, landing some 5-10 minutes later. It seemed that no-one noticed.
I claim the record. Twice in 2 days.
Last edited by Capot; 2nd Jul 2009 at 20:38.
I was at school in Harrow when the 707 landed at Northolt, rather than LHR, and which we watched through the classroom window, rather puzzled. All was explained on the news that evening.
It was also claimed that a Commandant at Cranwell in the early 60s did the "call finals at Cranwell, land at Barkston Heath" trick.
It was also claimed that a Commandant at Cranwell in the early 60s did the "call finals at Cranwell, land at Barkston Heath" trick.
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Anybody with better knowledge of this one?
About 1951 BOAC Comet landed at old Calcutta Dum Dum airport - not long enough for jets so allegedly hairy stop, and not long enough for even light load take-off. New airport not far away but no connection, so track beaten out by elephants. Story gets better as allegedly aircraft pulled to new airport by self-same elephants. Pilot Yorked - i.e. reduced to flying BOAC's York freighter service London-Singapore. Story told me in 1953 by my mother who worked for BOAC's ground handling agents in Singapore.
About 1951 BOAC Comet landed at old Calcutta Dum Dum airport - not long enough for jets so allegedly hairy stop, and not long enough for even light load take-off. New airport not far away but no connection, so track beaten out by elephants. Story gets better as allegedly aircraft pulled to new airport by self-same elephants. Pilot Yorked - i.e. reduced to flying BOAC's York freighter service London-Singapore. Story told me in 1953 by my mother who worked for BOAC's ground handling agents in Singapore.
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Here's a quote from another site. I remember the 707 incident. I believe they had to strip one of the airplanes to make it light enough to get out.
"I remember quite a few flights to YUL where you almost overflew Cartierville airport and could see the runway below a couple of minutes before landing at YUL. More than one airliner, including a Pan Am 707 and a BOAC Britannia, landed at Cartierville by mistake, thinking it was YUL."
Zweibrucken Tacan ch 49 and Dutch base tacan ch 49. You guessed it, a 104 pilot based at Zwei locked on to the Dutch tacan, flew the Zwei tacan approach and had to land off it because he didn't have enough gas to come home.
No names, no pack drill and Not Me
"I remember quite a few flights to YUL where you almost overflew Cartierville airport and could see the runway below a couple of minutes before landing at YUL. More than one airliner, including a Pan Am 707 and a BOAC Britannia, landed at Cartierville by mistake, thinking it was YUL."
Zweibrucken Tacan ch 49 and Dutch base tacan ch 49. You guessed it, a 104 pilot based at Zwei locked on to the Dutch tacan, flew the Zwei tacan approach and had to land off it because he didn't have enough gas to come home.
No names, no pack drill and Not Me
[flights to YUL where you almost overflew Cartierville airport and could see the runway below a couple of minutes before landing at YUL. More than one airliner, including a Pan Am 707 and a BOAC Britannia, landed at Cartierville by mistake, thinking it was YUL."
That's why the Brits named the airline BOAC: "Bin Over At Cartierville".
'Scuuse meeee....
That's why the Brits named the airline BOAC: "Bin Over At Cartierville".
'Scuuse meeee....
My fading memory seems to recall a KLM DC 8 landing at Changi instead of Paya Lebar when I was stationed there in 69/70. Runway direction pretty much the same I remember.
Also at Seletar in 67 an erk wandering from East to West camp on the road across the closed runway at night was scared s**tless when a Javelin from nearby Tengah screamed over his head and plonked down on the unlit runway. Reputedly so short of fuel he couldnt make it to Tengah, but still a good effort landing with on the black bit in the middle of the not quite so black bit!