Oh I don't think they did
too bad.
After all, they did land in the correct state, near the correct city (actually in the city when you think about it) AND most importantly, on the proper mainland.
Unlike a former chief pilot I once flew for that not only landed at the wrong airport, the wrong city but completely missed the mainland and landed on an island.
Now that took some doing. And no, I was not the co-pilot on that trip.
Strangely enough, a few months later I was the Chief Pilot of the man that owned the aircraft on that trip.
Now, who here remembers Kansas City airport (MKC) back in the late 60s to the mid 70s before the new MCI airport became operational?
Those that do will also remember the Fairfax airport on the Kansas side of the river, just west of MKC right across the river from MKC with the same basic runway set up.
Now you talk about a trap for the unwary pilot/crew, that was it. In poor weather, with a crosswind from the west, when you broke out of the clouds anywhere from around one to three thousand feet with five or less miles visilibty on the ILS landing to the south, you were lined up perfectly with a runway at Fairfax. You had to force yourself to look left for MCI.
This situation trapped pilots private pilots, charter pilots, coporate pilots, military pilots, airline pilots and even a few TWA pilots whose home base at the time was MKC.
Landing at the wrong airport has happened in the past, happens now and will on into the future.
But I managed not to for 42 plus years. Knock on wood.
