FAA investigates botched landing at Newark

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

NEWARK, New Jersey (AP) -- Federal authorities are investigating how a jetliner carrying more than 160 people landed on a taxiway instead of an adjacent runway at Newark's Liberty Airport.

No one was injured when the Continental flight from Orlando, Florida, landed in the wrong place Saturday night. Taxiways often have planes, vehicles or personnel on them.

The Boeing 757-200 should have landed on the shortest of the airport's three runways, but it instead touched down on a taxiway parallel to the runway, said Jim Peters, a spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration.

The FAA is "investigating it as a [possible] pilot deviation" from proper safety procedures, Peters said. The FAA had not interviewed the pilot and co-pilot as of Monday, but the airline said they have been grounded.

Russ Halleran, president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association local at the airport, said runways and taxiways use different color lights.

"It could have been ugly, God forbid," Halleran said in Tuesday's Star-Ledger of Newark. "Pretty lucky. Overall, that's how we have to look at it."

Newark Liberty International Airport is one three major airports serving the New York City area.

http://edition.cnn.com/2006/US/10/31/misse...y.ap/index.html

[garya505 2]

I've landed on a taxiway before so whats the big deal? Oh but wait, I was flying a Cessna 172 not a frickin 757!

Edited October 31, 2006 by garya505

[Saddle Bronc 124]

Was the pilot of this aircraft a Saudi (meaning, "had he flown for Saudia before")?

I ask this due to memory of a somewhat similar 1997 incident in Chennai when a Saudia 747 landed at Tambaram airbase (whose single runway cannot take IL-76's or larger) instead of Meenambakkam Airport (the two are separated by about 17 km)--despite of repeated warnings that he was on the wrong path!

[Ban Hammer 13,342]

wow what a short runway! yeah but look how wide it is!

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

They were very lucky.

[almaty 19]

the FAA suxs....allot of problems with that agency

[garya505 2]

the FAA suxs....allot of problems with that agency

Could be ... but it's the pilot who lands the plane, and he (she) has gotta have his head up his butt to put the plane down on a taxiway.

Edited October 31, 2006 by garya505

[almaty 19]

the FAA suxs....allot of problems with that agency

Could be ... but it's the pilot who lands the plane, and he (she) has gotta have his head up his butt to put the plane down on a taxiway.

i agree..i was thinking about the incident in kentucky where there was only controller and other incidents..seems to be poorly managed

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

wow what a short runway! yeah but look how wide it is!

[Marc and Olga 0]

I've landed on a taxiway before so whats the big deal? Oh but wait, I was flying a Cessna 172 not a frickin 757!

I, too have landed on a taxiway at night, by mistake...Wait that was in a flight SIMULATOR...not real life.

I was flying a CRJ-700 (the plane that crashed in Kentucky) not a 757...again in a simulator, NOT in REAL LIFE!

[yogib37 3]

the FAA suxs....allot of problems with that agency

Yeah..

FAA stands for FIX AFTER ACCENDENT

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

What is it with Newark Airport?

My wife flies out of there a lot for work, and arrivals always seem to be delayed because of 'weather issues'. Her record is waiting 5 hours for a 30 minute flight.

I mean, its not even snowing yet - you'd think 'a bit' of wind and rain is a standard state of affairs for most airports.

Newark is also the one airport that has actually "mislaid" our luggage.

Edited November 1, 2006 by erekose

[Saddle Bronc 124]

What is it with Newark Airport?

Answer is all-too-simple--the city it mainly services is the comsolidated-metro NYC (which, despite of gross deterioration on all fronts except price, still calls itself "big apple"--IMO, "big-rotten-apple"!)

My wife flies out of there a lot for work, and arrivals always seem to be delayed because of 'weather issues'. Her record is waiting 5 hours for a 30 minute flight.

I mean, its not even snowing yet - you'd think 'a bit' of wind and rain is a standard state of affairs for most airports.

good point. Even chronically-late Hartsfield (due to sheer volume) has not had that many weather-related delays.