How does this mistake happen with GPS?
 

Delta plane mistakenly lands at Ellsworth Air Force Base

How does a mistake like this happen in an era of GPS? Just wondering.

BillyHW

Probably quite easy - read this recent article about death by GPS by people who consider GPS right and what they see wrong:
https://www.theguardian.com/technolo...av-greg-milner

Been done more than once.

You don't fly down final approach looking at the GPS map, especially on a good weather day.


Chances are you look out of the window get the aircraft configured and position and land on the suitably aligned and marked runway.....

There easy back-ups (tuning up the ILS if the runway has one), and at airports where there might be confusion there''s often a warning in the airport plates...

You don't?

Maybe you should.

It's flying a visual approach which is not uncommon for airliners in the USA. It's then just a question of whether they set up the instruments for some basic guidance and monitoring. Maybe these guys did but both got fixated on looking outside, or they didn't. No doubt we will find out in due time.

There are actually two questions here. How does it happen and why does it happen.

How it happens is easy. Distraction, complacency, lack of situational awareness. All those topics they teach us in CRM that go out the window on a fine weather day.

Why it happens is harder to answer because it begins to ask other questions that not all pilots and air operators are comfortable answering.

Don't know what you fly but TBH I'm not sure our "GPS" display" would help that much, since you're not looking at a "Topo" presentation, you're looking at symbology on a pseudo map, and in any event you may not even have MAP selected as a display due other requirements....like using another backstop option such as monitoring an active ILS/navaid ....

In an ideal world, with clearances in hand and everything configured umpteen miles out I'd agree that a glance at MAP might be a useful tool for a gross error check ( but then again there's still the odd case of MAP shift).

what's the point of vor's, ndb's, ILS, GPS...

never understood how some people get so lazy that they can't even bother to tune one of their radios or set up a fix before making a visual approach. even a quick glance would tell you something's awry.

Also, ATC not paying enough attention to what is happening outside the tower windows, or on the 'scope'.