Boeing’s Massive Dreamlifter Lands at the Wrong Airport, Gets Stuck (Updated)
Pilots flying Boeing’s massive 747 Dreamlifter landed at the wrong airport yesterday and were stuck there overnight.
The modified jumbo jets hopscotch the world picking up sections of the 787 Dreamliner
and flying them to the company’s factories in Everett, Washington and
North Charleston, South Carolina. But last night instead of landing at
McConnell Air Force Base to retrieve nose sections made by Spirit
Aerosystems, they landed several miles away at Jabara airport. No big
deal? Big deal: The runway at Jabara is 6,101 feet long, a bit shorter
than the 747′s normal takeoff requirements
Pilots landing at the wrong airport is nothing new. It can be an easy mistake, with airports often lined up with each other and especially for pilots flying into unfamiliar areas, and at night. But it is hard to imagine why the pilots on the Dreamlifter — who presumably have flown into McConnell many times before to pick up 787 parts — would not have been very familiar with the Wichita area and the approach procedure.
Pilots landing at the wrong airport is nothing new. It can be an easy mistake, with airports often lined up with each other and especially for pilots flying into unfamiliar areas, and at night. But it is hard to imagine why the pilots on the Dreamlifter — who presumably have flown into McConnell many times before to pick up 787 parts — would not have been very familiar with the Wichita area and the approach procedure.
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