Belgian Jetairfly lined up for taxiway landing at CAS
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If we are going to start a list, how about the BA 744 pilot lining up with the M4 on approach to Heathrow?
I have done it myself in a PA28 on approach to Gillespie field in San Diego vfr. Realised my mistake after a while and adjusted the approach accordingly.
I have done it myself in a PA28 on approach to Gillespie field in San Diego vfr. Realised my mistake after a while and adjusted the approach accordingly.
Nightrider:
You are quite simply talking bullsh*t. Jackharr is quite right; the aircraft was a BAC-111 belonging to British Island Airways (BIA). The main easterly runway (08R) was closed for maintenance and the aircraft was making an approach to the secondary runway (08L).
The chap in the left seat (DC) was a new captain under training and the training captain was sitting in the right seat. The trainee was on the correct runway but the training captain kept insisting that they had to land on the most northerly strip which was actually the parallel taxiway.
Against his better judgement, the trainee did as he was told and was quickly proved right.
I believe the training captain was fired and the trainee was absolved of all blame. The latter did indeed go on to fly the BAe146 with Air Foyle.
It would be useful if you got your facts right before bursting into print.
You are quite simply talking bullsh*t. Jackharr is quite right; the aircraft was a BAC-111 belonging to British Island Airways (BIA). The main easterly runway (08R) was closed for maintenance and the aircraft was making an approach to the secondary runway (08L).
The chap in the left seat (DC) was a new captain under training and the training captain was sitting in the right seat. The trainee was on the correct runway but the training captain kept insisting that they had to land on the most northerly strip which was actually the parallel taxiway.
Against his better judgement, the trainee did as he was told and was quickly proved right.
I believe the training captain was fired and the trainee was absolved of all blame. The latter did indeed go on to fly the BAe146 with Air Foyle.
It would be useful if you got your facts right before bursting into print.
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It would be useful if you got your facts right before bursting into print.
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It's probably horribly expensive to install, but having something similar to the glideslope reds&greens but aimed more at aircraft lining up on the wrong bit of tarmac might be worth considering at some airports. Just arrange a bank of lights so that they are visible as a big arrow pointing left or right when you're lined up on the incorrect taxiway. It still won't stop the determined from continuing, but some might at least get a clue.
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Thanks for the professional advice JW.
Also we are running well off-topic now, can you imagine in your retirement that there was another incident, the one I mentioned? I rest my case regarding LGW.
The very simple fact is that navigational equipment should always be used to back-up as much as possible.
If the Saudi 747 crew would have followed this procedure, their landing in Tambaram instead of Chennai would not have happened.
An F27 of NEPC landed in Hyderabad Air Force base instead of Hyderabad International.
The 737 of JetAirways landed on a military field instead of Coimbatore.
There are records of a landing in Juhu instead of Mumbai.
There are plenty of similar occurrences, the list is too long now, and somehow the picture always comes back to have some kind of "over-confidence" involved.
The Jetairfly incident should not have happened at all if the crew had applied their SOP. The TUI group uses the same SOP for all group members, the tuning and identifying of the nav-aids and their indications are mandatory, especially during visual approaches.
Also we are running well off-topic now, can you imagine in your retirement that there was another incident, the one I mentioned? I rest my case regarding LGW.
The very simple fact is that navigational equipment should always be used to back-up as much as possible.
If the Saudi 747 crew would have followed this procedure, their landing in Tambaram instead of Chennai would not have happened.
An F27 of NEPC landed in Hyderabad Air Force base instead of Hyderabad International.
The 737 of JetAirways landed on a military field instead of Coimbatore.
There are records of a landing in Juhu instead of Mumbai.
There are plenty of similar occurrences, the list is too long now, and somehow the picture always comes back to have some kind of "over-confidence" involved.
The Jetairfly incident should not have happened at all if the crew had applied their SOP. The TUI group uses the same SOP for all group members, the tuning and identifying of the nav-aids and their indications are mandatory, especially during visual approaches.
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Why do we accept visual approaches, anyway?
Hello fellow pilots,
As demonstrated above, it is possible to line up on highways, other airfields, and taxiways when attempting a visual approach.
Why do we accept a visual approach when on an instrument flight plan, in a CAT3 aircraft, in controlled airspace?
In the US, it reduces the controller's workload becuase he/she does not have to call VFR traffic, provide a/c seperation, or make a proper turn on.
BTW, my new briefing item is "don't let me make a night visual approach." I have had a few exciting ones, setting up the automation agree with a non-standard set-up going into a black hole.
Why don't we just insist on an intrument approach each time?
I am heading that way.
R
As demonstrated above, it is possible to line up on highways, other airfields, and taxiways when attempting a visual approach.
Why do we accept a visual approach when on an instrument flight plan, in a CAT3 aircraft, in controlled airspace?
In the US, it reduces the controller's workload becuase he/she does not have to call VFR traffic, provide a/c seperation, or make a proper turn on.
BTW, my new briefing item is "don't let me make a night visual approach." I have had a few exciting ones, setting up the automation agree with a non-standard set-up going into a black hole.
Why don't we just insist on an intrument approach each time?
I am heading that way.
R
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Why don't we just insist on an intrument approach each time?
Nightrider:
"And then there was the BAe146 landing on the taxiway when cleared for the (are there two) LGW26R".
Jackharr tried to point out to you that it was not a BAe146 but a BAC 1-11. You have now told us that your BAe146 was a different happening. If that is the case, then give us all the details of this BAe146 incident and I will happily apologise.
I happen to know Jackharr and I think you might just owe him an apology.
You also state that nav equipment should always be used when making an approach to a runway. I could not agree with you more. Would you like to tell us exactly which aids were/are available to the standby runway at Gatwick when it is in use?
(In the case in point, nav aids made no difference for the weather conditions at the time were good).
"Later the captain was even promoted to be a trainer".
Now that really got my goat. Who the hell are you to decide who should or should not be promoted to be a training captain?
I know the captain personally and I did his conversion on to the BAe146. He was a first class captain and made a bl**dy good trainer later in his career. I find your comment quite offensive.
Tee Emm:
Although you might consider me to be a grumpy old git, I don't think it should be considered ungentlemanly for me to defend two good friends from such inflamatory and ill-considered comments.
I look forward to the details of Nightrider's BAe146 incident. It should be interesting for I know for certain that no Air Foyle/TNT captain ever landed on the the taxiway at Gatwick in a BAe146 (or in anything else for that matter).
"And then there was the BAe146 landing on the taxiway when cleared for the (are there two) LGW26R".
Jackharr tried to point out to you that it was not a BAe146 but a BAC 1-11. You have now told us that your BAe146 was a different happening. If that is the case, then give us all the details of this BAe146 incident and I will happily apologise.
I happen to know Jackharr and I think you might just owe him an apology.
You also state that nav equipment should always be used when making an approach to a runway. I could not agree with you more. Would you like to tell us exactly which aids were/are available to the standby runway at Gatwick when it is in use?
(In the case in point, nav aids made no difference for the weather conditions at the time were good).
"Later the captain was even promoted to be a trainer".
Now that really got my goat. Who the hell are you to decide who should or should not be promoted to be a training captain?
I know the captain personally and I did his conversion on to the BAe146. He was a first class captain and made a bl**dy good trainer later in his career. I find your comment quite offensive.
Tee Emm:
Although you might consider me to be a grumpy old git, I don't think it should be considered ungentlemanly for me to defend two good friends from such inflamatory and ill-considered comments.
I look forward to the details of Nightrider's BAe146 incident. It should be interesting for I know for certain that no Air Foyle/TNT captain ever landed on the the taxiway at Gatwick in a BAe146 (or in anything else for that matter).
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What happened:
- VOR approach for training
- they got out of the clouds, seeing they were aligned with the taxi-way
- go-around performed (even before calls were made from other aircraft)
- uneventful landing made
there is currently an "investigation" ongoing by the Morrocon CAA, they will publish their report soon I guess.
- VOR approach for training
- they got out of the clouds, seeing they were aligned with the taxi-way
- go-around performed (even before calls were made from other aircraft)
- uneventful landing made
there is currently an "investigation" ongoing by the Morrocon CAA, they will publish their report soon I guess.
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At Enstone airfield in the UK I was once circling in a glider at about 800ft just a few 100 yards south of the only operational runway. I watched with amazement as a KC135 tanker aircraft approached from the West to “land” having clearly mistaken Enstone for the nearby US airbase of Upper Heyford - on almost the same orientation and some 10 miles further on. At around 600ft they realised their mistake and climbed away along the runway centreline passing me nearby – I was now on downwind leg to land myself. Did they see me – I doubt it. Not wanting to come in 30 seconds behind a “heavy” and experience wake turbulence big time I modified my circuit and landed on the grass in another part of the airfield.
Quite exactly how one mistakes an unlicensed though admittedly long tarmac runway with no markings, lights, approach aids, radio etc with the facilities of a major US airbase escapes me however local legend has it that another aircraft made the same mistake and actually landed there. They had to strip out every single removable item off the aircraft to make it light enough to be flown off.
Quite exactly how one mistakes an unlicensed though admittedly long tarmac runway with no markings, lights, approach aids, radio etc with the facilities of a major US airbase escapes me however local legend has it that another aircraft made the same mistake and actually landed there. They had to strip out every single removable item off the aircraft to make it light enough to be flown off.
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BOAC= Been Over At Cartierville...a Britannia I believe. Planned destination CYUL. Airports a few miles apart and same runway config.
Last edited by OKFINE; 16th Mar 2009 at 02:24.
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and the NW DC10 that mistook BRU for FRA.
Actually after a bit of net research found this list.
August 16, 2006 - A Turkish Sky Airlines 737 bound for Poznan, Poland mistakenly lands at Krzesiny, a military airfield. Link.
March 29, 2006 - A Eirjet A320 bound for Derry, Northern Ireland mistakenly lands at Ballykelly, a military airfield. Link.
December 16, 2005 - A Pakistan International Airlines 737 bound for Karachi, Pakistan mistakenly lands at Faisal, a military airfield. Link.
September 5, 2005 - A Wings Air MD-80 bound for Minangkabau International Airport in Padang, Indonesia mistakenly lands at Tabing Airport, a military airfield. Link.
January 9, 2004 - A Shuttle America Saab 340 bound for University Park Airport in State College, Pennsylvania mistakenly lands at Mid-State Regional Airport in Philipsburg, Pennsylvania. Link.
January 22, 2003 - A Chatauqua Airlines Embraer 145, chartered by the University of Notre Dame basketball team and bound for South Bend, Indiana, mistakenly lands at Elkhart Municipal Airport. See Tom Coyne, "Irish land at wrong airport because of pilot mistake," Associated Press, January 24, 2003.
July 30, 2002 - A LOT Polish Airlines aircraft, bound for Kaliningrad, Russia, mistakenly lands at Chkalovsk, an abandoned military airfield. Link.
June 27, 2001 - A TAM Fokker 100, bound for Teresina, Brazil, mistakenly lands at Timon. See "Brazilian pilot mistakes private airstrip for urban airport," Deutsche Presse-Agentur, June 27, 2001.
March 14, 2001 - A TWA MD-80, bound for Yampa Valley Airport in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, mistakenly lands at Craig-Moffat Airport. Link.
December 8, 2000 - A BAX Global DC-8, bound for Oscoda-Wurtsmith Airport in Oscoda, Michigan, mistakenly lands at Iosco County Airport in East Tawas. Link.
June 17, 2000 - An Air Nova Dash 8, bound for Mont Joli, Quebec, mistakenly lands at Rimouski. See "Pilots land at wrong airport," The Gazette (Montreal, Quebec), June 20, 2000.
June 22, 1999 - An Avensa 727, bound for Latacunga Airport in Ambato, Venezuela, mistakenly lands at Izamva Airport. (According to some reports, the pilot did not complete the landing but did make contact with the ground.) See "Pilot Attempts Wrong Airport Landing," Associated Press, June 24, 1999.
July 16, 1997 - A Continental Express Embraer 120, bound for Lake Charles, Louisiana, mistakenly lands at Southland Field in Carlyss. See T.J. Milling, "A familiar landmark? Another Continental plane sets down at same, wrong airport," Houston Chronicle, July 19, 1997.
June 2, 1997 - A Saudi Arabian Airlines 747, bound for Madras International Airport in Chennai, India, mistakenly lands at Tambaram Air Force Base. Link.
May 11, 1997 - A Continental Airlines 737, bound for Corpus Christi, Texas, mistakenly lands at Cabaniss Field, an abandoned Navy airfield. Link.
March 27, 1997 - A Sun Pacific International Airlines aircraft, chartered by the Arkansas Razorbacks and bound for Fayetteville, Arkansas, mistakenly lands at Springdale. Link.
December 24, 1996 - An Atlas Air 747 bound for Pinal Air Park in Marana, Arizona mistakenly lands at Avra Valley Airport. Link.
October 15, 1996 - A Nations Air 737, bound for Orlando, Florida, mistakenly lands at Sanford Airport. See "Airline's inaugural flight lands at wrong airport in Orlando," Tampa Tribune, October 16, 1996.
October 3, 1996 - A Continental Express aircraft, bound for Lake Charles, Louisiana, mistakenly lands at Southland Field in Carlyss. Link.
October 17, 1995 - An aircraft chartered on behalf of the White House press corps, bound for Kelly Air Force Base in Texas, mistakenly lands at San Antonio International Airport. See "Press plane lands at wrong airport," United Press International, October 17, 1995.
September 5, 1995 - A Northwest Airlines DC-10, bound for Frankfurt, Germany, mistakenly landed in Brussels, Belgium, approximately 200 miles off course. (In this case, air traffic control has been blamed for providing incorrect flight plan data to the pilots.) See Don Phillips, "U.S. Jet Bound for Germany Mistakenly Lands in Belgium," Washington Post, October 1, 1995.
March 21, 1995 - A Great China Airlines Dash-8, bound for Taipei, Taiwan, mistakenly lands at Penghu Island. (In this case, the airline has been blamed for providing incorrect instructions to the pilot.) See "Misinformed Pilot Lands at Wrong Airport," Associated Press, March 22, 1995.
December 21, 1994 - A United Airlines 757, bound for San Juan, Puerto Rico, mistakenly lands at Fernando Ribas Dominicci Airport (a/k/a Isla Grande Airport). Link. See also "FAA Investigating Landing of United 757 at Wrong Airport," Aviation Daily, December 24, 1994.
May 5, 1993 - A Jet Airways 737, bound for Coimbatore, India, mistakenly lands at Sulur Air Force Base. Link. See also "You have arrived at err..." The Advertiser, May 6, 1993.
March 28, 1991 - An Emerald Airlines 727, bound for Central Wisconsin Airport in Mosinee, mistakenly lands at Wausau Municipal Airport. See Robert Imrie, "Pilot, Co-Pilot of 727 That Landed at Wrong Airport Suspended," Associated Press, May 7, 1991.
November 24, 1990 - A Wings West Fairchild Metro, bound for San Luis Obispo, California, mistakenly lands at Santa Maria Airport. See David Dietz, "Bay Airliner's Landing at Wrong City Probed: Plane Missed Destination By 36 Miles," San Francisco Chronicle, November 27, 1990.
November 8, 1990 - A Continental Express ATR-42, bound for Jackson, Mississippi, mistakenly lands at Hawkins Field. See "National Digest," St. Petersburg Times, November 10, 1990.
May 7, 1990 - A Continental Express aircraft bound for Farmington mistakenly lands at Aztec Airport. See “Runway of Choice Was at Wrong Airport,” Rocky Mountain News, May 11, 1990.
March 2, 1989 - A Dan Air BAe 748, bound for Aldergrove Airport in Belfast, Northern Ireland, mistakenly lands at Langford Lodge Airport. See "Flight ends at wrong destination," Independent, March 3, 1989.
September 17, 1988 - A Canadian Airlines 737, bound for Cambridge Bay, Northwest Territories, mistakenly lands at Churchill, Manitoba. (According to some reports, the pilots mis-applied the magnetic variation factor from true north necessary for navigation in high latitudes.) See "Canadian jetliner flew 750 miles off course," Miami Herald, September 25, 1988.
January 21, 1988 - A Piedmont Airlines F-28, bound for Wilmington, North Carolina, mistakenly lands at Albert J. Ellis Airport in Jacksonville. See "Piedmont Jet Lands at Jacksonville Instead of Wilmington," Associated Press, January 23, 1988.
July 7, 1987 - A Delta Air Lines 737, bound for Lexington, Kentucky, mistakenly lands at Capital City Airport in Frankfort. Link.
November 3, 1986 - An Air France 727, bound for Eliat, Israel, mistakenly lands at Aqaba Airport in Jordan. See "Sorry, Wrong Airport," Associated Press, November 3, 1986.
February 3, 1986 - A Piedmont Airlines 737, bound for Bush Field in Augusta, Georgia, mistakenly lands at Daniel Field. See "Piedmont Airlines Flight Lands at Wrong Airport in Augusta," Associated Press, February 4, 1986.
1982 - An Aero Airways DC-8, bound for Stewart International Airport in Newburgh, New York, mistakenly lands at Dutchess County Airport. See Edward Hudson, "Jets Mistake Tiny Airport for Another," New York Times, October 13, 1985. (I have not been able to determine the exact date of this incident, but the report appears to be reliable.)
October 23, 1980 - A Republic Airlines Convair 580 bound for Golden Triangle Municipal Airport in Columbus, Mississippi, mistakenly lands at Columbus-Lowndes County Airport. See "FAA Investigating Errant Landing," Associated Press, November 14, 1980.
July 14, 1980 - A Delta Air Lines 727, bound for Miami, mistakenly lands at Fort Lauderdale. (In this case, air traffic control has been blamed for providing incorrect flight plan data to the pilots.) See "Controller Reprimanded in Wrong Airport Landing," Associated Press, July 25, 1980.
June 20, 1980 - A Delta Air Lines 727, bound for Tampa, Florida, mistakenly lands at MacDill Air Force Base. See Tom Zucco, "The Official Tampa Bay Map of the Weird," St. Petersburg Times, October 18, 1991.
March 1, 1980 - A Republic Airlines DC-9 bound for Golden Triangle Municipal Airport in Columbus, Mississippi, mistakenly lands at Starkville Municipal Airport. See "FAA Investigating Errant Landing," Associated Press, November 14, 1980.
July 31, 1979 - A Western Airlines 737, bound for Sheridan, Wyoming, mistakenly lands at Buffalo. See David Bird and Albin Krebs, "Wyoming Town Fondly Remembers a Mistake," New York Times, July 7, 1981. (Buffalo subsequently honored the pilot with a "Lowell Ferguson Days" celebration.)
April 22, 1978 - A Maverick Air aircraft, bound for Tel Aviv, Israel mistakenly lands at Beirut, Lebanon. See "Cargo Pilot Finds Wrong Airport," Washington Post, April 24, 1978.
March 24, 1977 - A Pan Am 707, bound for Las Americas Airport in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, mistakenly lands at San Isidro Air Force Base. See "Wrong Airport," Aviation Week and Space Technology, April 4, 1977.
August 11, 1976 - An Iraqi Airways 747, bound for Orly Airport in Paris, France, mistakenly lands at Le Bourget Airport. See "Right City, Wrong Airport," New York Times, August 12, 1976.
December 4, 1974 - A Frontier Airlines 737, bound for Salt Lake International Airport in Salt Lake City, Utah, mistakenly lands at Salt Lake Airport No. 2. See "Jet Lands at Wrong Field," New York Times, December 4, 1974.
June 10, 1973 - A United Airlines 727, bound for Miami, mistakenly lands at Opa Locka. Link.
September 24, 1972 - A Japan Airlines DC-8, bound for Bombay, India mistakenly lands at Juhu. Link.
· May 1969 - A Northwest Airlines 727 bound for Fort Lauderdale mistakenly lands at Pompano Beach Executive Airport. See "Beautiful Airplane, A Perfect Landing, But Wrong Airport," St. Petersburg Times, June 12, 1973.
November 16, 1967 - An Ozark Airlines FH-227 bound for Whiteside County Airport, Rock Falls, Illinois, mistakenly lands at Dixon. Link.
July 4, 1967 - A TWA 707, bound for Columbus, Ohio, mistakenly lands at Don Scott Field at Ohio State University. Link. See also Bob Thomas, "Columbus Recollections: From Stunt to Kangaroo, Aviation Has Rich History," Columbus Dispatch, January 5, 1997.
May 31, 1967 - A Spantax CV990, bound for Hamburg Fuhlsbuttel Airport, mistakenly lands at Hamburg Finkenwerder Airport. See "Personalien Rodolfo Bay Wright," Sueddeutsche Zeitung (October 4, 2000).
May 2, 1966 - A LOT Polish Airlines aircraft, bound for Linate Airport in Milan, Italy, mistakenly lands at Malpensa Airport. See "Airliner Lands at Wrong Field," New York Times, May 3, 1966.
August 12, 1962 - A United Airlines DC-8, bound for Portland, Oregon, mistakenly lands at Troutdale. See "Jet Lands on Short Runway at Wrong Oregon Airport," New York Times, August 13, 1962.
October 25, 1960 - A Pan Am 707, bound for Heathrow Airport in London, England, mistakenly lands at RAF Northolt. See "Taxis fit for war veterans," Daily Mail, January 18, 1995.
July 27, 1960 - A Pan Am 707, bound for Dorval Airport in Montreal, Quebec, mistakenly lands at Cartierville. See "Jet Lands Safely at Wrong Airport," New York Times, July 28, 1960.
March 3, 1960 - A Capital Airlines DC-3, bound for Willow Run Airport in Detroit, Michigan, mistakenly lands at Muskegon County Airport. See "F.A.A. Suspends Pilot," New York Times, March 4, 1960.
December 28, 1959 – A United Airlines DC-6 bound for Omaha, Nebraska, mistakenly lands at Council Bluffs. Link.
· December 8, 1957 - A Delta Air Lines aircraft bound for Greenwood, Mississippi mistakenly lands at Yazoo City. See “Plane Mired Up at Wrong Airport,” Los Angeles Times, December 9, 1957. (According to “Wrong-Airport Landings: the Pilots Blush,” Los Angeles Times, October 14, 1973, Delta aircraft twice mistakenly landed at Yazoo City that year.)
July 15, 1953 - A BOAC Comet, bound for Santa Cruz Airport in Bombay, India, mistakenly lands at Juhu. See "British Comet Off Safely From Small Bombay Field," New York Times, July 25, 1953.
March 25, 1950 - A Greek four-engined aircraft, bound for Northolt Airport in London, England, mistakenly lands at Hendon Field. See "Perfect Landing, Wrong Airport," New York Times, March 25, 1950. (The aircraft may have been a C-47 operated by Hellenic Airlines, but I have not been able to confirm this information.)
Many additional "wrong way" incidents have occurred, but I have not been able to locate sufficient information to include them in the list above; any further details about the following, or other incidents, would be appreciated:
September 2002? - A cargo Fairchild SA-226, bound for Anderson Municipal Airport in Anderson, Indiana, mistakenly lands at Muncie. (A report of this incident is included in the FAA/NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (#562004).)
September 2001? - An ATR-72, bound for Hewanorra Airport on the island of St. Lucia, mistakenly lands at Castries Airport. (A report of this incident is included in the FAA/NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (#524023).)
July 2000? - A cargo 727, bound for Nashville, Tennessee, mistakenly lands at Smyrna. (A report of this incident is included in the FAA/NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (#478990).)
2000s? - A TAM aircraft lands at the wrong airport in Brazil. (The report of the June 27, 2001 TAM incident listed above asserts that two similar incidents had occurred in the preceding year.)
October 1999? - An Embraer 120, bound for Gulfport-Biloxi Regional Airport in Gulfport, Mississippi, mistakenly lands at Lowndes County Airport. (A report of this incident is included in the FAA/NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (#451009).)
July 1999? - An L1011, bound for Prince Sultan Air Force Base in Saudi Arabia, mistakenly lands at King Faisal Air Academy. (Reports of this incident are included in the FAA/NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (#443917 and #443003).)
March 1999? - A 727, bound for Central Wisconsin Airport in Mosinee, mistakenly lands at Stevens Point Airport. (A report of this incident is included in the FAA/NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (#431156).)
November 1998? - A BAe 31, bound for Barkley Regional Airport in Paducah, Kentucky, mistakenly lands at Metropolis Municipal Airport in Metropolis, Illinois. (A report of this incident is included in the FAA/NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (#421371).)
October 1998? - A Fairchild SA-227, bound for Baxter City Regional Airport in Mountain Home, Arkansas, mistakenly lands at Flippin Marion Airport. (A report of this incident is included in the FAA/NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (#417456).)
June 1998? - A cargo aircraft, bound for Appleton, Wisconsin, mistakenly lands at Oshkosh. (A report of this incident is included in the FAA/NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (#406718). The aircraft may have been operated by Federal Express, but I have not been able to confirm this information.)
January 1997? - An Embraer 121, bound for Gulfport-Biloxi Regional Airport in Gulfport, Mississippi, mistakenly lands at the wrong airport. (A report of this incident is included in the FAA/NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (#358608).)
December 1993? - An aircraft bound for Las Americas Airport in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic mistakenly lands at the wrong airport. (A report of this incident is included in the FAA/NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (#259037).)
August 1992? - An aircraft bound for Jacksonville, Florida mistakenly lands at Hunter Air Force Base. (A report of this incident is included in the FAA/NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (#218661).)
April 1992? - An aircraft bound for Joplin, Missouri mistakenly lands at the wrong airport. (A report of this incident is included in the FAA/NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (#206906).)
February 1992? - A cargo aircraft, bound for Deadhorse, Alaska, mistakenly lands at the wrong airport. (A report of this incident is included in the FAA/NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (#203020). The report also suggests that it was not the first such incident at Deadhorse.)
December 1991? - An aircraft bound for San Juan, Puerto Rico mistakenly lands at Fernando Ribas Dominicci Airport (a/k/a Isla Grande Airport). (A report of this incident is included in the FAA/NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (#197415).)
November 1990? - An aircraft bound for Golden Triangle Municipal Airport in Columbus, Mississippi mistakenly lands at the wrong airport. (A report of this incident is included in the FAA/NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (#164148).)
June 1990? - An aircraft bound for Las Americas Airport in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic mistakenly lands at San Isidro Air Force Base. (A report of this incident is included in the FAA/NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (#149634).)
April 1990? - An aircraft bound for Golden Triangle Municipal Airport in Columbus, Mississippi mistakenly lands at George M. Bryan Airport. (A report of this incident is included in the FAA/NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (#143980).)
April 1990? - An aircraft bound for Cancun, Mexico mistakenly lands at Cozumel. (A report of this incident is included in the FAA/NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (#137211).)
February 1990? - An aircraft bound for Golden Triangle Municipal Airport in Columbus, Mississippi mistakenly lands at George M. Bryan Airport. (A report of this incident is included in the FAA/NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (#143980).)
August 1988? - An aircraft bound for Golden Triangle Municipal Airport in Columbus, Mississippi mistakenly lands at McCharen Field. (A report of this incident is included in the FAA/NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (#91886).)
July 1988? - An aircraft bound for Golden Triangle Municipal Airport in Columbus, Mississippi, mistakenly lands at George M. Bryan Airport. (A report of this incident is included in the FAA/NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (#90608).)
July 1988? - A commuter aircraft lands at the wrong airport in Columbus, Ohio. (For a vague report of this incident, see David Dietz, "Short-Haul Pilots Say They Get Worn Out," San Francisco Chronicle, April 9, 1990. A similar incident occurred in Columbus, Mississippi that same month, as listed above.)
May 1988? - An aircraft bound for Rocky Mountain-Wilson Regional Airport in Rocky Mount, North Carolina mistakenly lands at Wilson Industrial Air Center Airport. (A report of this incident is included in the FAA/NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (#86869).)
January 1988? - An aircraft bound for San Luis Obispo, California mistakenly lands at Santa Maria Airport. (A report of this incident is included in the FAA/NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (#80010).)
January 1988? - An aircraft bound for Fayetteville, Arkansas mistakenly lands at Springfield Municipal Airport. (A report of this incident is included in the FAA/NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (#81126).)
January 1986? - A Wings West aircraft lands at the wrong airport in Atwater, California. (For a vague report of this incident, see Jonathan Dahl, "Exotic flights: The plummeting dog and other strange tales of commuter airlines," St. Petersburg Times, August 7, 1986.
1984? - An Eastern Air Lines 727, bound for Tampa, Florida, mistakenly lands at MacDill Air Force Base. Link. (Although the St. Petersburg Times has referred to this incident, I have not located any reports that confirm it, and I note that a similar incident occurred on June 20, 1980, as listed above.)
Additionally, a 1988 article published by the Flight Safety Foundation lists various airports at which air carriers had made approaches or landings, but does not identify specific incidents. See http://www.flightsafety.org/ap/ap_mar88.pdf.
Finally, although the following incidents do not strictly fit within the scope of this web page, they serve as examples of the many other "wrong way" incidents that have occurred:
· August 29, 2008 – Two parachutists, intending to deliver the opening football to a North Carolina-McNeese State game at Chapel Hill, mistakenly land at Duke University’s Wallace Wade Stadium. Link.
· November 6, 2007 - A private aircraft, bound for Cedar Rapids, mistakenly lands Des Moines. (The aircraft was transporting presidential candidate Barack Obama.) Link.
August 8, 2006 - A Nordic Airways MD-80, chartered to operate a Spanair flight to Santiago, is provided incorrect instructions and instead fllies to Sevilla, approximately 400 miles off course. Link.
July 20, 2004 - A U.S. Air Force B-52, bound for Farnborough, England to perform a low pass at an air show, instead performs the low pass at Blackbushe. Link.
May 5, 1997 - A Cyprus Airways aircraft, bound for Larnaca, Cyprus, lands at Paphos. (The pilot, reported to have been working strictly to rule, stated that the landing was necessary to avoid exceeding the total working hours allowed by international regulations.) See "Government blasts pilots union for working to rule," Associated Press, May 7, 1997.
April 2, 1997 - A private aircraft, bound for Guatemala City, Guatemala, mistakenly lands at a military airfield in San Jose. (The aircraft was transporting United Nations Secretary General Butros Butros-Ghali.) See "U.N. chief lands at wrong airport," The Gazette (Montreal, Quebec), April 3, 1997.
March 5, 1997 - A private aircraft, bound for Amicus, Georgia, mistakenly lands at Peachtree-Dekalb Airport in Atlanta. (The aircraft was transporting Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. In this case, air traffic control has been blamed for providing incorrect flight plan data to the pilots.) See "Arafat's plane lands at wrong airport," United Press International, March 6, 1997.
May 10, 1976 - A private aircraft, bound for Hopkins Airport in Cleveland, Ohio, mistakenly lands at Burke Lakefront Airport. (The aircraft was transporting Paul McCartney and Wings to a show at the Coliseum.) See "Memorable Moments: A Quick Look Back at Cleveland History Shows the Events and People Who helped Make This City a Happening Place," Plain Dealer, August 27, 1995.
1969 - A Seaboard World Airways DC-8, operating a military charter flight, bound for Da Nang, Vietnam, mistakenly lands at Marble Mountain Air Facility. Link.
December 18, 1953 - A U.S. Air Force B-29, bound for Hill Air Force Base in Utah, mistakenly lands at Ogden Municipal Airport. (One of the eight members of the crew was killed; this is the only "wrong way" fatality that I have confirmed.) See "B-29 Crashes in Smog," New York Times, December 19, 1953.
March 31, 1952 - A private aircraft, bound for Teterboro Airport in New Jersey, mistakenly lands at Newark Airport. (The aircraft was piloted by Merrill C. Meigs, who was at that time a consultant to the Civil Aeronautics Administration, and was the namesake of now-closed Meigs Field in Chicago, Illinois.) See "Newark Has Air Visitor," New York Times, April 1, 1952.
April 12, 1935 - The dirigible Graf Zeppelin, bound for an airdrome in Pernambuco, Brazil, mistakenly lands in a football field. See "Airship Is Damaged: Lands in Wrong Field," New York Times, April 13, 1935.
The last one was my favourite!
Source: Wrong Way Landings By Commercial Airliners
Actually after a bit of net research found this list.
August 16, 2006 - A Turkish Sky Airlines 737 bound for Poznan, Poland mistakenly lands at Krzesiny, a military airfield. Link.
March 29, 2006 - A Eirjet A320 bound for Derry, Northern Ireland mistakenly lands at Ballykelly, a military airfield. Link.
December 16, 2005 - A Pakistan International Airlines 737 bound for Karachi, Pakistan mistakenly lands at Faisal, a military airfield. Link.
September 5, 2005 - A Wings Air MD-80 bound for Minangkabau International Airport in Padang, Indonesia mistakenly lands at Tabing Airport, a military airfield. Link.
January 9, 2004 - A Shuttle America Saab 340 bound for University Park Airport in State College, Pennsylvania mistakenly lands at Mid-State Regional Airport in Philipsburg, Pennsylvania. Link.
January 22, 2003 - A Chatauqua Airlines Embraer 145, chartered by the University of Notre Dame basketball team and bound for South Bend, Indiana, mistakenly lands at Elkhart Municipal Airport. See Tom Coyne, "Irish land at wrong airport because of pilot mistake," Associated Press, January 24, 2003.
July 30, 2002 - A LOT Polish Airlines aircraft, bound for Kaliningrad, Russia, mistakenly lands at Chkalovsk, an abandoned military airfield. Link.
June 27, 2001 - A TAM Fokker 100, bound for Teresina, Brazil, mistakenly lands at Timon. See "Brazilian pilot mistakes private airstrip for urban airport," Deutsche Presse-Agentur, June 27, 2001.
March 14, 2001 - A TWA MD-80, bound for Yampa Valley Airport in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, mistakenly lands at Craig-Moffat Airport. Link.
December 8, 2000 - A BAX Global DC-8, bound for Oscoda-Wurtsmith Airport in Oscoda, Michigan, mistakenly lands at Iosco County Airport in East Tawas. Link.
June 17, 2000 - An Air Nova Dash 8, bound for Mont Joli, Quebec, mistakenly lands at Rimouski. See "Pilots land at wrong airport," The Gazette (Montreal, Quebec), June 20, 2000.
June 22, 1999 - An Avensa 727, bound for Latacunga Airport in Ambato, Venezuela, mistakenly lands at Izamva Airport. (According to some reports, the pilot did not complete the landing but did make contact with the ground.) See "Pilot Attempts Wrong Airport Landing," Associated Press, June 24, 1999.
July 16, 1997 - A Continental Express Embraer 120, bound for Lake Charles, Louisiana, mistakenly lands at Southland Field in Carlyss. See T.J. Milling, "A familiar landmark? Another Continental plane sets down at same, wrong airport," Houston Chronicle, July 19, 1997.
June 2, 1997 - A Saudi Arabian Airlines 747, bound for Madras International Airport in Chennai, India, mistakenly lands at Tambaram Air Force Base. Link.
May 11, 1997 - A Continental Airlines 737, bound for Corpus Christi, Texas, mistakenly lands at Cabaniss Field, an abandoned Navy airfield. Link.
March 27, 1997 - A Sun Pacific International Airlines aircraft, chartered by the Arkansas Razorbacks and bound for Fayetteville, Arkansas, mistakenly lands at Springdale. Link.
December 24, 1996 - An Atlas Air 747 bound for Pinal Air Park in Marana, Arizona mistakenly lands at Avra Valley Airport. Link.
October 15, 1996 - A Nations Air 737, bound for Orlando, Florida, mistakenly lands at Sanford Airport. See "Airline's inaugural flight lands at wrong airport in Orlando," Tampa Tribune, October 16, 1996.
October 3, 1996 - A Continental Express aircraft, bound for Lake Charles, Louisiana, mistakenly lands at Southland Field in Carlyss. Link.
October 17, 1995 - An aircraft chartered on behalf of the White House press corps, bound for Kelly Air Force Base in Texas, mistakenly lands at San Antonio International Airport. See "Press plane lands at wrong airport," United Press International, October 17, 1995.
September 5, 1995 - A Northwest Airlines DC-10, bound for Frankfurt, Germany, mistakenly landed in Brussels, Belgium, approximately 200 miles off course. (In this case, air traffic control has been blamed for providing incorrect flight plan data to the pilots.) See Don Phillips, "U.S. Jet Bound for Germany Mistakenly Lands in Belgium," Washington Post, October 1, 1995.
March 21, 1995 - A Great China Airlines Dash-8, bound for Taipei, Taiwan, mistakenly lands at Penghu Island. (In this case, the airline has been blamed for providing incorrect instructions to the pilot.) See "Misinformed Pilot Lands at Wrong Airport," Associated Press, March 22, 1995.
December 21, 1994 - A United Airlines 757, bound for San Juan, Puerto Rico, mistakenly lands at Fernando Ribas Dominicci Airport (a/k/a Isla Grande Airport). Link. See also "FAA Investigating Landing of United 757 at Wrong Airport," Aviation Daily, December 24, 1994.
May 5, 1993 - A Jet Airways 737, bound for Coimbatore, India, mistakenly lands at Sulur Air Force Base. Link. See also "You have arrived at err..." The Advertiser, May 6, 1993.
March 28, 1991 - An Emerald Airlines 727, bound for Central Wisconsin Airport in Mosinee, mistakenly lands at Wausau Municipal Airport. See Robert Imrie, "Pilot, Co-Pilot of 727 That Landed at Wrong Airport Suspended," Associated Press, May 7, 1991.
November 24, 1990 - A Wings West Fairchild Metro, bound for San Luis Obispo, California, mistakenly lands at Santa Maria Airport. See David Dietz, "Bay Airliner's Landing at Wrong City Probed: Plane Missed Destination By 36 Miles," San Francisco Chronicle, November 27, 1990.
November 8, 1990 - A Continental Express ATR-42, bound for Jackson, Mississippi, mistakenly lands at Hawkins Field. See "National Digest," St. Petersburg Times, November 10, 1990.
May 7, 1990 - A Continental Express aircraft bound for Farmington mistakenly lands at Aztec Airport. See “Runway of Choice Was at Wrong Airport,” Rocky Mountain News, May 11, 1990.
March 2, 1989 - A Dan Air BAe 748, bound for Aldergrove Airport in Belfast, Northern Ireland, mistakenly lands at Langford Lodge Airport. See "Flight ends at wrong destination," Independent, March 3, 1989.
September 17, 1988 - A Canadian Airlines 737, bound for Cambridge Bay, Northwest Territories, mistakenly lands at Churchill, Manitoba. (According to some reports, the pilots mis-applied the magnetic variation factor from true north necessary for navigation in high latitudes.) See "Canadian jetliner flew 750 miles off course," Miami Herald, September 25, 1988.
January 21, 1988 - A Piedmont Airlines F-28, bound for Wilmington, North Carolina, mistakenly lands at Albert J. Ellis Airport in Jacksonville. See "Piedmont Jet Lands at Jacksonville Instead of Wilmington," Associated Press, January 23, 1988.
July 7, 1987 - A Delta Air Lines 737, bound for Lexington, Kentucky, mistakenly lands at Capital City Airport in Frankfort. Link.
November 3, 1986 - An Air France 727, bound for Eliat, Israel, mistakenly lands at Aqaba Airport in Jordan. See "Sorry, Wrong Airport," Associated Press, November 3, 1986.
February 3, 1986 - A Piedmont Airlines 737, bound for Bush Field in Augusta, Georgia, mistakenly lands at Daniel Field. See "Piedmont Airlines Flight Lands at Wrong Airport in Augusta," Associated Press, February 4, 1986.
1982 - An Aero Airways DC-8, bound for Stewart International Airport in Newburgh, New York, mistakenly lands at Dutchess County Airport. See Edward Hudson, "Jets Mistake Tiny Airport for Another," New York Times, October 13, 1985. (I have not been able to determine the exact date of this incident, but the report appears to be reliable.)
October 23, 1980 - A Republic Airlines Convair 580 bound for Golden Triangle Municipal Airport in Columbus, Mississippi, mistakenly lands at Columbus-Lowndes County Airport. See "FAA Investigating Errant Landing," Associated Press, November 14, 1980.
July 14, 1980 - A Delta Air Lines 727, bound for Miami, mistakenly lands at Fort Lauderdale. (In this case, air traffic control has been blamed for providing incorrect flight plan data to the pilots.) See "Controller Reprimanded in Wrong Airport Landing," Associated Press, July 25, 1980.
June 20, 1980 - A Delta Air Lines 727, bound for Tampa, Florida, mistakenly lands at MacDill Air Force Base. See Tom Zucco, "The Official Tampa Bay Map of the Weird," St. Petersburg Times, October 18, 1991.
March 1, 1980 - A Republic Airlines DC-9 bound for Golden Triangle Municipal Airport in Columbus, Mississippi, mistakenly lands at Starkville Municipal Airport. See "FAA Investigating Errant Landing," Associated Press, November 14, 1980.
July 31, 1979 - A Western Airlines 737, bound for Sheridan, Wyoming, mistakenly lands at Buffalo. See David Bird and Albin Krebs, "Wyoming Town Fondly Remembers a Mistake," New York Times, July 7, 1981. (Buffalo subsequently honored the pilot with a "Lowell Ferguson Days" celebration.)
April 22, 1978 - A Maverick Air aircraft, bound for Tel Aviv, Israel mistakenly lands at Beirut, Lebanon. See "Cargo Pilot Finds Wrong Airport," Washington Post, April 24, 1978.
March 24, 1977 - A Pan Am 707, bound for Las Americas Airport in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, mistakenly lands at San Isidro Air Force Base. See "Wrong Airport," Aviation Week and Space Technology, April 4, 1977.
August 11, 1976 - An Iraqi Airways 747, bound for Orly Airport in Paris, France, mistakenly lands at Le Bourget Airport. See "Right City, Wrong Airport," New York Times, August 12, 1976.
December 4, 1974 - A Frontier Airlines 737, bound for Salt Lake International Airport in Salt Lake City, Utah, mistakenly lands at Salt Lake Airport No. 2. See "Jet Lands at Wrong Field," New York Times, December 4, 1974.
June 10, 1973 - A United Airlines 727, bound for Miami, mistakenly lands at Opa Locka. Link.
September 24, 1972 - A Japan Airlines DC-8, bound for Bombay, India mistakenly lands at Juhu. Link.
· May 1969 - A Northwest Airlines 727 bound for Fort Lauderdale mistakenly lands at Pompano Beach Executive Airport. See "Beautiful Airplane, A Perfect Landing, But Wrong Airport," St. Petersburg Times, June 12, 1973.
November 16, 1967 - An Ozark Airlines FH-227 bound for Whiteside County Airport, Rock Falls, Illinois, mistakenly lands at Dixon. Link.
July 4, 1967 - A TWA 707, bound for Columbus, Ohio, mistakenly lands at Don Scott Field at Ohio State University. Link. See also Bob Thomas, "Columbus Recollections: From Stunt to Kangaroo, Aviation Has Rich History," Columbus Dispatch, January 5, 1997.
May 31, 1967 - A Spantax CV990, bound for Hamburg Fuhlsbuttel Airport, mistakenly lands at Hamburg Finkenwerder Airport. See "Personalien Rodolfo Bay Wright," Sueddeutsche Zeitung (October 4, 2000).
May 2, 1966 - A LOT Polish Airlines aircraft, bound for Linate Airport in Milan, Italy, mistakenly lands at Malpensa Airport. See "Airliner Lands at Wrong Field," New York Times, May 3, 1966.
August 12, 1962 - A United Airlines DC-8, bound for Portland, Oregon, mistakenly lands at Troutdale. See "Jet Lands on Short Runway at Wrong Oregon Airport," New York Times, August 13, 1962.
October 25, 1960 - A Pan Am 707, bound for Heathrow Airport in London, England, mistakenly lands at RAF Northolt. See "Taxis fit for war veterans," Daily Mail, January 18, 1995.
July 27, 1960 - A Pan Am 707, bound for Dorval Airport in Montreal, Quebec, mistakenly lands at Cartierville. See "Jet Lands Safely at Wrong Airport," New York Times, July 28, 1960.
March 3, 1960 - A Capital Airlines DC-3, bound for Willow Run Airport in Detroit, Michigan, mistakenly lands at Muskegon County Airport. See "F.A.A. Suspends Pilot," New York Times, March 4, 1960.
December 28, 1959 – A United Airlines DC-6 bound for Omaha, Nebraska, mistakenly lands at Council Bluffs. Link.
· December 8, 1957 - A Delta Air Lines aircraft bound for Greenwood, Mississippi mistakenly lands at Yazoo City. See “Plane Mired Up at Wrong Airport,” Los Angeles Times, December 9, 1957. (According to “Wrong-Airport Landings: the Pilots Blush,” Los Angeles Times, October 14, 1973, Delta aircraft twice mistakenly landed at Yazoo City that year.)
July 15, 1953 - A BOAC Comet, bound for Santa Cruz Airport in Bombay, India, mistakenly lands at Juhu. See "British Comet Off Safely From Small Bombay Field," New York Times, July 25, 1953.
March 25, 1950 - A Greek four-engined aircraft, bound for Northolt Airport in London, England, mistakenly lands at Hendon Field. See "Perfect Landing, Wrong Airport," New York Times, March 25, 1950. (The aircraft may have been a C-47 operated by Hellenic Airlines, but I have not been able to confirm this information.)
Many additional "wrong way" incidents have occurred, but I have not been able to locate sufficient information to include them in the list above; any further details about the following, or other incidents, would be appreciated:
September 2002? - A cargo Fairchild SA-226, bound for Anderson Municipal Airport in Anderson, Indiana, mistakenly lands at Muncie. (A report of this incident is included in the FAA/NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (#562004).)
September 2001? - An ATR-72, bound for Hewanorra Airport on the island of St. Lucia, mistakenly lands at Castries Airport. (A report of this incident is included in the FAA/NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (#524023).)
July 2000? - A cargo 727, bound for Nashville, Tennessee, mistakenly lands at Smyrna. (A report of this incident is included in the FAA/NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (#478990).)
2000s? - A TAM aircraft lands at the wrong airport in Brazil. (The report of the June 27, 2001 TAM incident listed above asserts that two similar incidents had occurred in the preceding year.)
October 1999? - An Embraer 120, bound for Gulfport-Biloxi Regional Airport in Gulfport, Mississippi, mistakenly lands at Lowndes County Airport. (A report of this incident is included in the FAA/NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (#451009).)
July 1999? - An L1011, bound for Prince Sultan Air Force Base in Saudi Arabia, mistakenly lands at King Faisal Air Academy. (Reports of this incident are included in the FAA/NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (#443917 and #443003).)
March 1999? - A 727, bound for Central Wisconsin Airport in Mosinee, mistakenly lands at Stevens Point Airport. (A report of this incident is included in the FAA/NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (#431156).)
November 1998? - A BAe 31, bound for Barkley Regional Airport in Paducah, Kentucky, mistakenly lands at Metropolis Municipal Airport in Metropolis, Illinois. (A report of this incident is included in the FAA/NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (#421371).)
October 1998? - A Fairchild SA-227, bound for Baxter City Regional Airport in Mountain Home, Arkansas, mistakenly lands at Flippin Marion Airport. (A report of this incident is included in the FAA/NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (#417456).)
June 1998? - A cargo aircraft, bound for Appleton, Wisconsin, mistakenly lands at Oshkosh. (A report of this incident is included in the FAA/NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (#406718). The aircraft may have been operated by Federal Express, but I have not been able to confirm this information.)
January 1997? - An Embraer 121, bound for Gulfport-Biloxi Regional Airport in Gulfport, Mississippi, mistakenly lands at the wrong airport. (A report of this incident is included in the FAA/NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (#358608).)
December 1993? - An aircraft bound for Las Americas Airport in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic mistakenly lands at the wrong airport. (A report of this incident is included in the FAA/NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (#259037).)
August 1992? - An aircraft bound for Jacksonville, Florida mistakenly lands at Hunter Air Force Base. (A report of this incident is included in the FAA/NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (#218661).)
April 1992? - An aircraft bound for Joplin, Missouri mistakenly lands at the wrong airport. (A report of this incident is included in the FAA/NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (#206906).)
February 1992? - A cargo aircraft, bound for Deadhorse, Alaska, mistakenly lands at the wrong airport. (A report of this incident is included in the FAA/NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (#203020). The report also suggests that it was not the first such incident at Deadhorse.)
December 1991? - An aircraft bound for San Juan, Puerto Rico mistakenly lands at Fernando Ribas Dominicci Airport (a/k/a Isla Grande Airport). (A report of this incident is included in the FAA/NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (#197415).)
November 1990? - An aircraft bound for Golden Triangle Municipal Airport in Columbus, Mississippi mistakenly lands at the wrong airport. (A report of this incident is included in the FAA/NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (#164148).)
June 1990? - An aircraft bound for Las Americas Airport in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic mistakenly lands at San Isidro Air Force Base. (A report of this incident is included in the FAA/NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (#149634).)
April 1990? - An aircraft bound for Golden Triangle Municipal Airport in Columbus, Mississippi mistakenly lands at George M. Bryan Airport. (A report of this incident is included in the FAA/NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (#143980).)
April 1990? - An aircraft bound for Cancun, Mexico mistakenly lands at Cozumel. (A report of this incident is included in the FAA/NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (#137211).)
February 1990? - An aircraft bound for Golden Triangle Municipal Airport in Columbus, Mississippi mistakenly lands at George M. Bryan Airport. (A report of this incident is included in the FAA/NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (#143980).)
August 1988? - An aircraft bound for Golden Triangle Municipal Airport in Columbus, Mississippi mistakenly lands at McCharen Field. (A report of this incident is included in the FAA/NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (#91886).)
July 1988? - An aircraft bound for Golden Triangle Municipal Airport in Columbus, Mississippi, mistakenly lands at George M. Bryan Airport. (A report of this incident is included in the FAA/NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (#90608).)
July 1988? - A commuter aircraft lands at the wrong airport in Columbus, Ohio. (For a vague report of this incident, see David Dietz, "Short-Haul Pilots Say They Get Worn Out," San Francisco Chronicle, April 9, 1990. A similar incident occurred in Columbus, Mississippi that same month, as listed above.)
May 1988? - An aircraft bound for Rocky Mountain-Wilson Regional Airport in Rocky Mount, North Carolina mistakenly lands at Wilson Industrial Air Center Airport. (A report of this incident is included in the FAA/NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (#86869).)
January 1988? - An aircraft bound for San Luis Obispo, California mistakenly lands at Santa Maria Airport. (A report of this incident is included in the FAA/NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (#80010).)
January 1988? - An aircraft bound for Fayetteville, Arkansas mistakenly lands at Springfield Municipal Airport. (A report of this incident is included in the FAA/NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (#81126).)
January 1986? - A Wings West aircraft lands at the wrong airport in Atwater, California. (For a vague report of this incident, see Jonathan Dahl, "Exotic flights: The plummeting dog and other strange tales of commuter airlines," St. Petersburg Times, August 7, 1986.
1984? - An Eastern Air Lines 727, bound for Tampa, Florida, mistakenly lands at MacDill Air Force Base. Link. (Although the St. Petersburg Times has referred to this incident, I have not located any reports that confirm it, and I note that a similar incident occurred on June 20, 1980, as listed above.)
Additionally, a 1988 article published by the Flight Safety Foundation lists various airports at which air carriers had made approaches or landings, but does not identify specific incidents. See http://www.flightsafety.org/ap/ap_mar88.pdf.
Finally, although the following incidents do not strictly fit within the scope of this web page, they serve as examples of the many other "wrong way" incidents that have occurred:
· August 29, 2008 – Two parachutists, intending to deliver the opening football to a North Carolina-McNeese State game at Chapel Hill, mistakenly land at Duke University’s Wallace Wade Stadium. Link.
· November 6, 2007 - A private aircraft, bound for Cedar Rapids, mistakenly lands Des Moines. (The aircraft was transporting presidential candidate Barack Obama.) Link.
August 8, 2006 - A Nordic Airways MD-80, chartered to operate a Spanair flight to Santiago, is provided incorrect instructions and instead fllies to Sevilla, approximately 400 miles off course. Link.
July 20, 2004 - A U.S. Air Force B-52, bound for Farnborough, England to perform a low pass at an air show, instead performs the low pass at Blackbushe. Link.
May 5, 1997 - A Cyprus Airways aircraft, bound for Larnaca, Cyprus, lands at Paphos. (The pilot, reported to have been working strictly to rule, stated that the landing was necessary to avoid exceeding the total working hours allowed by international regulations.) See "Government blasts pilots union for working to rule," Associated Press, May 7, 1997.
April 2, 1997 - A private aircraft, bound for Guatemala City, Guatemala, mistakenly lands at a military airfield in San Jose. (The aircraft was transporting United Nations Secretary General Butros Butros-Ghali.) See "U.N. chief lands at wrong airport," The Gazette (Montreal, Quebec), April 3, 1997.
March 5, 1997 - A private aircraft, bound for Amicus, Georgia, mistakenly lands at Peachtree-Dekalb Airport in Atlanta. (The aircraft was transporting Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. In this case, air traffic control has been blamed for providing incorrect flight plan data to the pilots.) See "Arafat's plane lands at wrong airport," United Press International, March 6, 1997.
May 10, 1976 - A private aircraft, bound for Hopkins Airport in Cleveland, Ohio, mistakenly lands at Burke Lakefront Airport. (The aircraft was transporting Paul McCartney and Wings to a show at the Coliseum.) See "Memorable Moments: A Quick Look Back at Cleveland History Shows the Events and People Who helped Make This City a Happening Place," Plain Dealer, August 27, 1995.
1969 - A Seaboard World Airways DC-8, operating a military charter flight, bound for Da Nang, Vietnam, mistakenly lands at Marble Mountain Air Facility. Link.
December 18, 1953 - A U.S. Air Force B-29, bound for Hill Air Force Base in Utah, mistakenly lands at Ogden Municipal Airport. (One of the eight members of the crew was killed; this is the only "wrong way" fatality that I have confirmed.) See "B-29 Crashes in Smog," New York Times, December 19, 1953.
March 31, 1952 - A private aircraft, bound for Teterboro Airport in New Jersey, mistakenly lands at Newark Airport. (The aircraft was piloted by Merrill C. Meigs, who was at that time a consultant to the Civil Aeronautics Administration, and was the namesake of now-closed Meigs Field in Chicago, Illinois.) See "Newark Has Air Visitor," New York Times, April 1, 1952.
April 12, 1935 - The dirigible Graf Zeppelin, bound for an airdrome in Pernambuco, Brazil, mistakenly lands in a football field. See "Airship Is Damaged: Lands in Wrong Field," New York Times, April 13, 1935.
The last one was my favourite!
Source: Wrong Way Landings By Commercial Airliners
This thread is NOT about an aircraft landing at the wrong airport.