Flight almost lands at wrong airport
Authorities are investigating how an American Airlines’ flight came close to landing at the wrong airport in Florida.
Flight 862 was scheduled to land at Southwest Florida International but took a wrong turning on the approach and was lined up to land at nearby Page Field.
Page Field was area’s main commercial airport before Southwest Florida International opened in 1983 and is now only used for executive jets.
Air traffic controllers quickly alerted the pilots to their error and guided them back on course to the right airport, an FAA statement said.
"The FAA is looking into the operation," FAA spokesperson Kathleen Berger said.
"Whilst we don’t have the numbers available on this, it’s unusual."
The flight, from Philadelphia, had descended as low as 800 feet when the error was corrected, and was then forced to climb again to about 1,500 feet.
Page Field is about seven miles away from Southwest Florida International.
The plane landed safely at the right destination about 25 minutes late.
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
TAP Air Portugal to operate 29 flights due to strike on December 11
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt
Air Mauritius reduces frequencies to Europe and Asia for the holiday season
Major rail disruptions around and in Berlin until early 2026