C-17 lands at wrong airport. Small GA airport

[vwbrvr6]

A C-17 landed at a small GA airport by mistake. I've actually flown to that airport before. The Airforce base is very close by, you can clearly see it in the pattern, the runways are huge. Don't know how they f'd that up. Can you imagine being on base, clearing final and seeing this sucker? He's obviously not on frequency. What about the Airfoce Base tower, "uuuhh C-17 your pretty low".

http://www2.tbo.com/news/news/2012/j.../tbo.ly/MMVZpK

[yz1337]

This is why you back up visual approaches with nav aids and include an airfield description in your approach brief...every time.

[B3sat16v]

This is why you back up visual approaches with nav aids and include an airfield description in your approach brief...every time.

As a professional aviator, I cannot think of a reason not do the above. I will say, sometimes, with experience comes complacency, and that has bitten a lot of smart people.

[NHDUBN#2]

How in the hell do you mis Mac Dill AFB ?

[Geekengineer]

As a professional aviator, I cannot think of a reason not do the above. I will say, sometimes, with experience comes complacency, and that has bitten a lot of smart people.

So... a shining example of that would be the gear-up B-1B landing at Diego Garcia a few years back?

[yz1337]

As a professional aviator, I cannot think of a reason not do the above. I will say, sometimes, with experience comes complacency, and that has bitten a lot of smart people.

But I'll bet youve flown with some dudes that don't do it

[B3sat16v]

But I'll bet you've flown with some dudes that don't do it

It is not so bad on this side of the house. Most dudes know that simple things can bite them in the ass. So the community pretty much engraves that we have to plan plan plan. Make the plan happen in the aircraft of as situation dictates and we are heavy on CRM. Taking off and landing on ships takes quite a bit of CRM. Overall there are very few dudes that overlook things.

If this aircraft indeed landed at the wrong runway/airfield, that was a total CRM breakdown. Someone in the crew must have noticed, unless both pilots are dumb asses.

[GLX-GTZ]

Hey, cool, the video mentioned in the article is up on YouTube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y1Hp6IHFsZo

[DonL]

Of course it is.

And hence ends what was probably an otherwise solid career?

[yz1337]

probably won't end, but there will certainly be some investigation boards to meet and checkrides to reaccomplish.

[bastion72]

I was stationed just across the bay at Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater on 130's. I was actually a navigator as well. The area is very congested with air traffic, houses and buildings. Tampa International is just north of there, so some maneuvering for congested airspace is always a thing plus at that time of day weather is a factor. Usually at 3 pm there's rain in the area, so that might have been another contributing factor. Aside from that, DME would have been a big giveaway, visual confirmation another. I blame it on complacency, unfamiliarity and loss of SA. Another thing, how can that runway support the weight of a C-17? Glad no one was hurt.

I remember we had a pilot line up for final on a bridge right next to PIE. Even Coast Guard make mistakes.

[vwbrvr6]

The AFD rates the runway at, single wheel landing gear system, 20,000lbs.

[spockcat]

I remember we had a pilot line up for final on a bridge right next to PIE. Even Coast Guard make mistakes.

Tower's instructions:
"Land on Bayside Bridge, take the Roosevelt Blvd exit, turn left on Rt 686 and then left onto Airport Parkway Dr. You know your way from there."

[bastion72]

Tower's instructions:
"Land on Bayside Bridge, take the Roosevelt Blvd exit, turn left on Rt 686 and then left onto Airport Parkway Dr. You know your way from there."

That sounds about right. You been there before?

[spockcat]

That sounds about right. You been there before?

Have a condo there and planning on moving there soon. But we've never used PIE. We always fly into TPA.