PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - Boeing 747 Dreamlifter lands at wrong airport
Old 22nd Nov 2013, 20:50
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NephewBob
 
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Philippines
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Confession time-Lotsa fields around ICT!

If ATC hears a scheduled flight number, and you sound confident enough, they will probably assume that the crew had been on that flight before.

There I was, on a severe clear day, in the early '80s, coincidentally at Wichita,KS, the only really close shave I had at landing at the wrong airport.

Coming from Dallas, destination Mid-Continent, Tracon positioned for downwind, kept calling field at 11, 10 then 9 o'clock, and being a young (er) sucker, I accepted the visual. Tight turn to final, could not see any traffic that Twr kept calling, started to think not all ok, but when on short final, seeing a bunch of grey 'airline' jets parked near the end of the runway, we all decided at the same time that we were about to land at McConell AFB!

Quick go around, land at Wichita a few mins later. "Apologies to the Air Force tower" .......No worries, all ready talked to 'em, told them you were doing a practice approach to 19L @ McConnell!" Never heard another word.

My lesson was clear, do not get suckered in if you are not familiar, by ATC or yourself. Nowadays, of course with all the magenta wizbangs, there is less chance. I can't remember the last time someone briefed "visual back up by theILS, any questions? 'Briefings nowadays are not very brief, are done at 200miles out and are mostly irrelevant to the destination'

Finally, I would suggest that visual arrival incidents to the wrong airport are probably on the decrease because in my experience (not really their fault either, we only do in the sim, rarely on line) many 'international airline pilots' could not successfully complete a visual approach if their life depended on it.
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