Bright runway lights cause of airport mix-up
The pilots of a Southwest Airlines flight that mistakenly landed at the wrong airport last week say they were confused by the bright runway lights of the smaller airstrip, believing it to be the correct destination.
Speaking to investigators of the National Transportation Safety Board, the pilots only realized they were at the wrong airport on touchdown when the plane had to brake abruptly on the shorter runway.
The flight crew told investigators they "utilized heavy braking to bring the aircraft to a stop" before informing Branson Airport traffic control of the mix-up.
The Boeing 737-700 with 124 passengers onboard had left Chicago for a scheduled stop at Branson Airport in Missouri, but landed some seven miles away at Taney County Airport.
Taney County Airport, also known as M. Graham Clark Downtown Airport, has a much shorter runway and handles only small corporate and charter aircraft.
According to the flight crew, Taney County Airport has a similar orientation to Branson Airport runway.
The pilot and second officer remain on paid leave pending the investigation which is still ongoing according to the NTSB.
A statement from the airline said: "Once we receive the final NTSB report, we will conduct a thorough review. Safety remains our top priority."
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Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
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