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Delta Flight From Rio Lands On Taxiway

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Delta Flight From Rio Lands On Taxiway

Old 20th Oct 2009, 18:53
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Delta Flight From Rio Lands On Taxiway

Just reported on local radio news, WSB750 here in ATL, that a Delta flight from Rio landed on an ATL taxiway around 6am yesterday morning. Anyone have anything else?
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Old 20th Oct 2009, 19:20
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WSB reports:
Delta Flight Lands on Taxiway

By Jon Lewis @ October 20, 2009 9:32 AM Permalink |

(WSB Radio) The FAA is investigating why a Delta flight coming in from Rio landed on a taxiway at the Atlanta airport, instead of the runway.

The FAA's Kathleen Bergen tells WSB's Bob Coxe Delta Flight #60 from Rio had been cleared to land on runway 27R just after 6 Monday morning.

Instead, it landed on a parallel taxiway:

"Pilots are trained to land on the runway," Bergen says. "Taxiway landing is not appropriate, so we will be investigating it very thoroughly in determining why that happened.

"We did receive a report that there was a medical emergency on board the aircraft when the landing occurred," she says, "but the pilot still is required to follow all proper procedures and land on the runway."

There were no planes on the taxiway, and no one was hurt.

Bergen says the crew had reported a medical emergency on board, but that wouldn't excuse a taxiway landing.

Such landings are rare, but have happened.

"I can't think of any prior occasion in Atlanta," says Bergen. "But we have had patterns of taxiway landings at other airports in the southeast."

One southern airport, in particular, has had its share of taxiway landings.

"We've had a number of these cases occurring at Palm Beach International Airport," she says. "That is causing us to take a look at the airport layout."

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports:
Delta flight lands on taxiway instead of runway


By Rhonda Cook

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
3:18 p.m. Tuesday, October 20, 2009

The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the circumstances that caused a Delta Air Lines flight from Rio de Janeiro land on a taxiway instead of the prescribed runway at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.

FAA spokeswoman Kathleen Bergen said Tuesday the pilot of Delta 60 had declared a medical emergency just before landing in Atlanta at 6 a.m. Monday but even so should not have landed on the taxiway. She did not know the nature of the emergency.

The Boeing 767 touched down on the taxiway running parallel and north of runway No. 27.

No one was injured and there were no other aircraft on the taxiway, Bergen said.
“The aircraft landed safely,” she said. “The FAA is investigating and looking at all aspects of the event… Our goal is to find out what happened and to ensure it doesn’t happen again.”

She said it was “very, very rare” for a plane to land on a taxiway rather than the runway. “None of us here, anecdotally, can remember this happening,” she said.
A spokesman for Delta was not available for comment.

DL60 arrived at 6:09 local. Sunrise was 7:46 local.


DL60 track inbound:




KATL:

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Old 21st Oct 2009, 00:25
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Didn't think this could happen, at least with a company such as Delta. We'll not know for sure how this came about until the preliminary report so.......um....thread over I suppose?

I'm curious though. What does their inbound track (above) have to do with it?
 
Old 21st Oct 2009, 00:41
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Typically,at ATL, approaches are flown to the outside runways and departures from the inside. If given a side-step to 27R, radios are unlikely tuned and the final approach flown visually. This is much easier to do than we would like to believe. More so after flying all night.
There but for the grace of God...........
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Old 21st Oct 2009, 00:46
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Over an hour before sunrise, this crew somehow ignored the intended runway with full TDZL and CL lighting. This will need some explaining because right now, it is really hard to understand. (I am assuming that all the lighting was operational.)

It is pure luck that this landing 767-300 did not collide with anything on the taxiway. I can't wait for the tapes and transcripts. This flight would have had three pilots aboard due to stage length.

Also, redeyes into ATL often use the inner runways for landing simply because there are virtually no flights departing before 0730. And there are reports that this flight had a medical issue aboard and would likely have welcomed a shorter taxi to terminal E.

Last edited by RobertS975; 21st Oct 2009 at 00:57.
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Old 21st Oct 2009, 01:31
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Even though landing on a taxiway can't be justified I am sure they would have seen any aircraft taxiing. It was a mistake and they will pay dearly. I don't think it is career ending. You can bet they will never do it again.

Transisioning to the inner runways might have just one row of lights to the right instead of the other runway. Bad on them, wrong colored lights but they screwed up and am sure admitted it. They were tired and made a mistake. I quit doing the long hauls for that reason. Fatigue. I like daylight flying.
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Old 21st Oct 2009, 02:50
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If you're running late, this will shorten the taxi time some.

At Eastern, we used remind the DL boys about landing at the right airport after several flights arrived at the wrong airport; say FLL instead of MIA, or McDill AFB instead of TPA; there were others. So, at least, they're at ATL.

Yes, we beat them into Ch 11.
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Old 21st Oct 2009, 03:11
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Didn't think this could happen, at least with a company such as Delta.
Well, lets see.
When DAL first started transAtlantic service, gross navigational errors were common...for awhile.

Then, about a dozen years ago, one of their DC-9's landed in gusty winds, and dragged a wing tip.
The airplane was taxied straight to the hangar, and the incident was not reported to the FAA for three days.
Fact.

...radios are unlikely tuned
Big mistake.
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Old 21st Oct 2009, 03:52
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At Eastern, we used remind the DL boys about landing at the right airport after several flights arrived at the wrong airport; say FLL instead of MIA, or McDill AFB instead of TPA
Delta also developed a reputation out west for arriving at the wrong airports after they bought Western.
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Old 21st Oct 2009, 03:55
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p51guy, it is hard to argue that they would have seen an aircraft on the taxiway, especially at night. From the rear, there is not much to see amidst the clutter of lights. It is even harder to argue this when they didn't even notice that they were landing on a taxiway, not a runway.
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Old 21st Oct 2009, 04:06
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P51Guy...What IS your experience with "Long Haul"?...The tone of your posts indicate it may be "Parker"51...
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Old 21st Oct 2009, 04:24
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Typically,at ATL, approaches are flown to the outside runways and departures from the inside. If given a side-step to 27R, radios are unlikely tuned and the final approach flown visually. This is much easier to do than we would like to believe. More so after flying all night.
There but for the grace of God...........
Amen. I don't fly into ATL much anymore but I did do the sidestep from the 27L ILS to 27R landing through a low cloud layer in the middle of the night a couple of years ago. You are instantly high on profile from the difference in thresholds and I kept asking 'does this look right?'.

At Eastern, we used remind the DL boys about landing at the right airport after several flights arrived at the wrong airport; say FLL instead of MIA, or McDill AFB instead of TPA; there were others. So, at least, they're at ATL.
They also did Frankfort instead of Lexington (both in Kentucky, at least). It was observed that Delta was an acronym for 'Don't Ever Land There Again!'

When DAL first started transAtlantic service, gross navigational errors were common...for awhile.
Yep, for instance: 2 JETS NEARLY COLLIDE OVER THE ATLANTIC - The New York Times
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Old 21st Oct 2009, 04:46
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Amen. I don't fly into ATL much anymore but I did do the sidestep from the 27L ILS to 27R landing through a low cloud layer in the middle of the night a couple of years ago. You are instantly high on profile from the difference in thresholds and I kept asking 'does this look right?'.
ATL this morning was clear (cold but clear) so low cloud and RVR shouldn't have been an issue. Not making an issue and am SO glad that all on board are safe. Thereby but for the grace...... I bet the pax didn't even notice that they had not landed on the runway.

Mac
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Old 21st Oct 2009, 04:52
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The strongest but still weakest argument here is human factors. I chock it up to the idiot factor.
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Old 21st Oct 2009, 06:47
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There's only one word for this - particularly since ATL is a Delta base that these pilots must have known.

Oops
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Old 21st Oct 2009, 08:16
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Quote from WBS as shown above:

"Pilots are trained to land on the runway," Bergen says.
really? well, you learn something new every day!
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Old 21st Oct 2009, 08:20
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The FAA's Kathleen Bergen ........."Pilots are trained to land on the runway," Bergen says. "Taxiway landing is not appropriate....
A bright career in aviation administration nowadays probably awaits someone with this level of understanding

She said it was “very, very rare” for a plane to land on a taxiway rather than the runway. “None of us here, anecdotally, can remember this happening,” she said.
Clearly the new FAA world includes key staff who have no idea about aviation. Many on here will be able to recall a number of such incidents off the top of their head, including locations where it has happened more than once.
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Old 21st Oct 2009, 08:26
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Monom

Many years ago, landing at Ovda (S. Israel) a similar thing nearly happened. 2 parallel r/w's and a narrow taxiway. Right hand r/w closed, so fairly straightforward - not! VOR let down, 30 deg offset. On limits, just rained, sun setting in our eyes. Breakcloud and there were the 2 r/w's. Took the left one until about 200 ft when it became apparent that the r/w was much narrower than the right hand one. Doubts, then certainty - it was the taxiway. Just time to switch (B757) and land. Phew! But I had a CAA inspector sitting by my shoulder. What we did not know was that the runway was not only closed but completely dug up. Sun shone off the wet r/w and taxiway giving a very false picture. Ovda is in the desert and there is very little other reference. I was reaching for my licence to rip it up when the inspector said "I was fooled too." The (NL) CAA then issued a cautionary note about such circumstances and my career continued. Easily done if the cheese holes line up, so don't be too hasty in condemnation.
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Old 21st Oct 2009, 09:01
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GCAP says...
Typically,at ATL, approaches are flown to the outside runways and departures from the inside. If given a side-step to 27R, radios are unlikely tuned and the final approach flown visually. This is much easier to do than we would like to believe. More so after flying all night.
There but for the grace of God...........
Yeah I agree... perhaps for a simulator pilot who is color blind, or perhaps a Tyro.

I have to say, after 34 years of flying combination of long haul, and all night flying, I still find it hard to land on a taxiway...

By the way... can everyone say Localizer and Glide Slope... oh and Magenta line?
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Old 21st Oct 2009, 09:20
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Cool

Took the left one until about 200 ft when it became apparent that the r/w was much narrower than the right hand one. Doubts, then certainty - it was the taxiway. Just time to switch (B757) and land.
Many years ago, you might even get a pat on the back for a good bit of handling - today you would be severely chastised for not going around for a second approach rather than repositioning an airliner onto a different runway at less than 200 feet.
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