a/c flies to the wrong destination?
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a/c flies to the wrong destination?
Anyone know (or admit?!) to the story going round the Maastricht UAC this morning , that a Captain picked up the wrong flightplan and flew to Berlin instead of Brussels ? Seemingly we had a phone call asking if he had landed in Brussels and the caller was politely told that he was still in the air west of Berlin , inbound there !!!
If true , why did nobody notice from the 'welcome on board to Berlin' speech ?
If true , why did nobody notice from the 'welcome on board to Berlin' speech ?
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Many years ago a 'Captain Birdseye' in his DAN-AIR HS748 landed at the wrong airfield at Belfast Aldergrove. There's an old military airfield not far from the end of the runway at BFS (the name escapes me). Apparently there were several calls to the handling agent for a dispatcher who had difficulty locating the aircraft!! It was a bit misty at the time!! Pax were then coached to the correct airfield. Not sure when it was exactly as I've looked on the internet many times to try a find the AAIB report.
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And then of course there was the Pan- Am 747 (could have been a 707) which landed at Northolt instead of Heathrow many moons ago.
I believe they had to strip out the seats to reduce the weight in order for it to take off again. A40 was closed as a precaution.
I believe they had to strip out the seats to reduce the weight in order for it to take off again. A40 was closed as a precaution.
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Dulles/Dallas
Was enroute Oz to Washington DC with family back in 69. Had never heard of Dulles.
On the climb out of San Francisco Captain came up on PA to advise pax to settle down for the x hours to Dulles. I heard it as Dallas and exclaimed that we were on the wrong flight.
Feverish pressing of a call button produced a hostie who confirmed we were going to Darlus and not to worry.
Now very worried I told the family that they would be seeing Dallas sooner than expected but now concerned that luggage had gone to Washington.
Careful perusal of a route map eventually created a more relaxed situation much to family's amusement.
Was enroute Oz to Washington DC with family back in 69. Had never heard of Dulles.
On the climb out of San Francisco Captain came up on PA to advise pax to settle down for the x hours to Dulles. I heard it as Dallas and exclaimed that we were on the wrong flight.
Feverish pressing of a call button produced a hostie who confirmed we were going to Darlus and not to worry.
Now very worried I told the family that they would be seeing Dallas sooner than expected but now concerned that luggage had gone to Washington.
Careful perusal of a route map eventually created a more relaxed situation much to family's amusement.
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Wrong Way Corrigan
WRONG WAY CORRIGAN • Accidental Aviator
On July 17, 1938, Douglas Corrigan filed a flight plan for California and took off from a Brooklyn airfield in a tiny single-engine plane. 29 hours later he arrived in Ireland, claiming his compasses had failed. Although Corrigan never quite admitted it, his 'mistake' was surely a ruse to circumvent aviation authorities who had turned down his request to make a trans-Atlantic flight. Corrigan's stunt caught the public fancy and he was given a hero's welcome on his return to New York.
On July 17, 1938, Douglas Corrigan filed a flight plan for California and took off from a Brooklyn airfield in a tiny single-engine plane. 29 hours later he arrived in Ireland, claiming his compasses had failed. Although Corrigan never quite admitted it, his 'mistake' was surely a ruse to circumvent aviation authorities who had turned down his request to make a trans-Atlantic flight. Corrigan's stunt caught the public fancy and he was given a hero's welcome on his return to New York.
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About 5 years ago my seat-mates on a SJU-IAD flight were a Puerto Rican couple. He owned a light twin, but took commercial for long flights.
He had a story (then recent) of a UA flight, chartered by a cruise company, which landed at Isla Verde instead of SJU. One passes over Isla Verde a few miles before SJU on the normal approach.
The 757 landed safely, but the runway was too short to take off with any load.
Things were worse since there were no stairs at Isla Verde tall enough to reach a 757 ... and it was traffic rush hour so it took a long time to drive stairs over from SJU.
He had a story (then recent) of a UA flight, chartered by a cruise company, which landed at Isla Verde instead of SJU. One passes over Isla Verde a few miles before SJU on the normal approach.
The 757 landed safely, but the runway was too short to take off with any load.
Things were worse since there were no stairs at Isla Verde tall enough to reach a 757 ... and it was traffic rush hour so it took a long time to drive stairs over from SJU.
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Not the carriers fault but similarly disorientating for the pax....
... an inexperienced travel agent booked a flight for a Couple to Sydney. Not a bad fare...approx £750 with Air Canada - which for most agents would surely ring an alarm bell.
Anyway the couple like the price, bought the ticket and after their connection in Canada arrived in Sydney.......Nova Scotia!
YQY = Sydney Canada
SYD - Sydney Australia
... an inexperienced travel agent booked a flight for a Couple to Sydney. Not a bad fare...approx £750 with Air Canada - which for most agents would surely ring an alarm bell.
Anyway the couple like the price, bought the ticket and after their connection in Canada arrived in Sydney.......Nova Scotia!
YQY = Sydney Canada
SYD - Sydney Australia
egnxema:
We're getting away a little from the original topic (maybe because no one has bitten with the details) but in the situation you describe the couple had apparently booked on the web, where such gross blunders are by no means unknown. Remember it happening at the time - what tourist industry there is in Sydney NS, right up to the mayor, all rallied round and some publicity was generated.
Air Canada is no stranger to web booking cockups especially at Toronto where they have flights to both London, UK and London, Ontario, let alone also to both Sydney NS and Sydney NSW (which when expressed that way you can see gives additional scope for confusion).
BTW there was a German pax on a charter Frankfurt - Bangor Me. - San Francisco who didn't realise the intermediate fuel and customs stop on the US East Coast was not the final destination, left the airport with his luggage, took a taxi to "Ze Holiday Inn" (one in every town), checked in somehow and then asked the reception where the cable cars were !
We're getting away a little from the original topic (maybe because no one has bitten with the details) but in the situation you describe the couple had apparently booked on the web, where such gross blunders are by no means unknown. Remember it happening at the time - what tourist industry there is in Sydney NS, right up to the mayor, all rallied round and some publicity was generated.
Air Canada is no stranger to web booking cockups especially at Toronto where they have flights to both London, UK and London, Ontario, let alone also to both Sydney NS and Sydney NSW (which when expressed that way you can see gives additional scope for confusion).
BTW there was a German pax on a charter Frankfurt - Bangor Me. - San Francisco who didn't realise the intermediate fuel and customs stop on the US East Coast was not the final destination, left the airport with his luggage, took a taxi to "Ze Holiday Inn" (one in every town), checked in somehow and then asked the reception where the cable cars were !
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Many years ago a 'Captain Birdseye' in his DAN-AIR HS748 landed at the wrong airfield at Belfast Aldergrove. There's an old military airfield not far from the end of the runway at BFS (the name escapes me). Apparently there were several calls to the handling agent for a dispatcher who had difficulty locating the aircraft!! It was a bit misty at the time!! Pax were then coached to the correct airfield. Not sure when it was exactly as I've looked on the internet many times to try a find the AAIB report.
Similar thing happened at Langford Lodge a few years earlier with a Spantax or Aviaco charter from the Med. Everything needed stripped out to get it back the few miles to Aldergrove (both have main runways on the same heading 07/25 and are only about 4-5 miles apart). I believe the crew were frantically looking around for their stand and 'Follow Me' and couldn't understand why nothing was arriving with them. Even more frustrating was that they couldn't find a terminal building either !!
Similar thing happened at Langford Lodge a few years earlier with a Spantax or Aviaco charter from the Med. Everything needed stripped out to get it back the few miles to Aldergrove (both have main runways on the same heading 07/25 and are only about 4-5 miles apart). I believe the crew were frantically looking around for their stand and 'Follow Me' and couldn't understand why nothing was arriving with them. Even more frustrating was that they couldn't find a terminal building either !!
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u wont find the dan air incident on a aib because there was no damage (i thought it was nutts corner he landed at)
the incident at northolt was an air india constellation, 747 drivers arnt that stupid.
but just in case the gasometers near northolt and hrwo have arrows on them with hrow and nholt and an arrow on them!!
chap was cleared to land at ema and landed od 24 at bham
aztec cleared to land at ema landed at wymeswold
aer ligus landed at filton instead of bristol
during the war a bomber landed in the canal beside hawarden thinking it was the runway
chap i worked for spent 10 minutes talking to edinburgh received landing clearnace and touched down at glasgow.
fairflight heron short of fuel landed with pax at fraserborough instaed of aberdeen(some paxs treated for shock!)
jolly green giant hcopter made approach to disued airfield instead of silverstone for display!
lancaster landed in a field during war and thinking it was germany left it but set fire to it, after climbing over a hedge found out they were in norfolk.
usaf display jet pilot did a run and break over the runway at the barton air display but unfortuanately had just suprised controllers and pilots at manchester international.
it just keeps happening
the incident at northolt was an air india constellation, 747 drivers arnt that stupid.
but just in case the gasometers near northolt and hrwo have arrows on them with hrow and nholt and an arrow on them!!
chap was cleared to land at ema and landed od 24 at bham
aztec cleared to land at ema landed at wymeswold
aer ligus landed at filton instead of bristol
during the war a bomber landed in the canal beside hawarden thinking it was the runway
chap i worked for spent 10 minutes talking to edinburgh received landing clearnace and touched down at glasgow.
fairflight heron short of fuel landed with pax at fraserborough instaed of aberdeen(some paxs treated for shock!)
jolly green giant hcopter made approach to disued airfield instead of silverstone for display!
lancaster landed in a field during war and thinking it was germany left it but set fire to it, after climbing over a hedge found out they were in norfolk.
usaf display jet pilot did a run and break over the runway at the barton air display but unfortuanately had just suprised controllers and pilots at manchester international.
it just keeps happening
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Thats right, Pan Am into Northolt was 707, not 747.
Going much further back, BOAC landed Constellation at Nairobi West ( now Wilson) instead of Eastleigh ( which was the international airport pre the existing one at Embakasi). Runways were on similar heading and aircraft broke cloud to see a runway in front of it, so down he went. It repositioned later without passengers. A good account appears in Peter J Davis book "East African-An Airline Story".
Going much further back, BOAC landed Constellation at Nairobi West ( now Wilson) instead of Eastleigh ( which was the international airport pre the existing one at Embakasi). Runways were on similar heading and aircraft broke cloud to see a runway in front of it, so down he went. It repositioned later without passengers. A good account appears in Peter J Davis book "East African-An Airline Story".
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I met 'wrong way' Corrigan in the eighties. He maintained to the end he had made a mistake. He had the right idea. Why spoil a good story? He flew into Baldonnel one last time in an Aer Lingus shed. This time on purpose.
Speaking of Baldonnel, recently during the fun and games surrounding the delivery of several new PC9's to the Irish Air Corps. Staff in the tower of the nearby tower of the GA field at Weston were surprised to see a grey painted 'Mustang' like aircraft screaming down the runway at nought feet. The Swiss delivery pilot mistook it for the military base.
On the other hand Baldonnel often plays host to confused British GA pilots looking for Weston. One attempted to land during a big military parade there recently. Luckily the Air Corps doesn't have patriot missiles!
Speaking of Baldonnel, recently during the fun and games surrounding the delivery of several new PC9's to the Irish Air Corps. Staff in the tower of the nearby tower of the GA field at Weston were surprised to see a grey painted 'Mustang' like aircraft screaming down the runway at nought feet. The Swiss delivery pilot mistook it for the military base.
On the other hand Baldonnel often plays host to confused British GA pilots looking for Weston. One attempted to land during a big military parade there recently. Luckily the Air Corps doesn't have patriot missiles!
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Working in the tower at Leavesden ( before it was turned into a housing estate/ film set) we had an N reg single engine ask for joining instructions and a few moments later he called finals.
Time passed ... no aircraft ... then we got a very crackly request for taxi instructions ..... followed by a phone call from Denham ...
" er I think we have one of yours here"
Time passed ... no aircraft ... then we got a very crackly request for taxi instructions ..... followed by a phone call from Denham ...
" er I think we have one of yours here"
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There was an American military aircraft during WW2 that was to fly from Cairns, in north Queensland, to Port Moresby - due north- in New Guinea. "How do I get there ?" asks the driver. "Mate, just turn left and follow the coast" says the old digger. So, the intrepid birdman does just that, followed the coast - around the pointy bit at the top right of Australia and still following the coast, all the way down into the Gulf of Carpentaria until he ran out of fuel. Rumour is that 50 years later somebody finally found him.
Sad really.
Heat.
Sad really.
Heat.