Originally Posted by
Metro man
The airports look very similar from the air, and being on the coast the runways are the same direction. The mistake is quite easy if you try and eyeball it, thats what navigation equipment is there to prevent.
In India, the ATIS for Chennai warns pilots not to mistake the nearby military airbase for the civil airport, something to do with a cargo jumbo landing there by mistake.
Um not cargo - pax 747 SVA.
Early morning missed approach on 07 due not aligned off vectors.
Problem repeated on 2nd attempt. Tower advised crew " clear to land runway to your right"
Tired crew saw military runway to the right and landed.
Multiple cues ( no city!) and shouting from FE ( wrong airport) ignored.
4000ft runway as I recall. Close to max landing weight. Loved the 74.