According to a local newspaper called "The Telegraaf" a KLM Boeing 737 on last Wednessday Feb 10th took off from a taxiway instead of the runway. No incident happed during takeoff.Schiphol is the airport where KLM resides and most of the 737 pilots are Dutch, so...it's strange that a pilot made this error. To make things worse:1. Schiphol has ground rarad coverage. Why was this mistake not detected sooner?2. There are 2 pilots in the cockpit and both didn't realize their mistake?It is believed that due to snow the pilot's didn't see their error sooner, but still...the lights have different colors, the width is smaller compared to the runway tarmac and other visible aides that they shouldn't and couldn't have missed.An investigation is under way.

According to a local newspaper called "The Telegraaf" a KLM Boeing 737 on last Wednessday Feb 10th took off from a taxiway instead of the runway. No incident happed during takeoff.Schiphol is the airport where KLM resides and most of the 737 pilots are Dutch, so...it's strange that a pilot made this error. To make things worse:1. Schiphol has ground rarad coverage. Why was this mistake not detected sooner?2. There are 2 pilots in the cockpit and both didn't realize their mistake?It is believed that due to snow the pilot's didn't see their error sooner, but still...the lights have different colors, the width is smaller compared to the runway tarmac and other visible aides that they shouldn't and couldn't have missed.An investigation is under way.

Someday...................perhaps all modern jetliners will have what my kitbuilt/experimental has. A moving map GPS with a full airport diagram that shows exactly where my airplane is in relation to runways, taxiways, ramp.L.Adamson

Anything seems to goe :( I've done that several times in FS. Just don't make any contact with the tower before take off :(

Hello,Maybe the runway was busy .. and the pilots under stress to respect the schedule ?So .. they used the taxiway ... commercialy and in the financial interest of the airline .. a good decision.Sure those pilots will receive a bonus Regards.Gus.

I could see this happening at night time but that's strange the pilot, co-pilot, or ATC did not recognize the error. Glad to hear they were able to take off without killing anyone! Jim

Someday...................perhaps all modern jetliners will have what my kitbuilt/experimental has. A moving map GPS with a full airport diagram that shows exactly where my airplane is in relation to runways, taxiways, ramp.L.Adamson

Thats seems a very good idea! Why couldn't Boeing launch something like this off, on there 787? If you think about it, it seems a very easy software. At the moemnt though well have to put up with charts !!! :(

Thats seems a very good idea! Why couldn't Boeing launch something like this off, on there 787? If you think about it, it seems a very easy software. At the moemnt though well have to put up with charts !!! :(

The 787 most likely has it. A new Cessna 172 does, as well as many other new GA airplanes. Garmin 1000, Avidyne, etc. Mine is just in the way of a Garmin 696 portable. Unfortunately, much of todays commercial aircraft are still behind the times...............when compared to non-certified GPS equipment that's available in portables, or units such as the certified Garmin 1000 for a simple Cessna 172 training aircraft. We even have XM Satellite weather that's uploaded to our GPS's within minutes of real time. I can easily check weather for a 100 miles or thousands away. Many airlines still have to get this information from ground personnel. L.Adamson

Someday...................perhaps all modern jetliners will have what my kitbuilt/experimental has. A moving map GPS with a full airport diagram that shows exactly where my airplane is in relation to runways, taxiways, ramp.

As much as I've postured about the danger of GA pilots getting over-dependent on technology... I can't remember the last time I flew even an old Warrior that didn't have a good GPS.. and I have used them on the ground at larger airports to keep from having to bug the tower for taxi instructions :( HOWEVER.. in that theme of over-dependence.. thinking of them as a measure keep someone from taking off on a taxiway, makes my point. :( Unless there's some kinda link between throttle position, and ground position, that would trigger an alarm; what do you think the chances are that a PAIR of pilots oblivious to what's in front of thier eyes, would notice a GPS display ? .. and all that this would do is prove that piloting standards (like everything else) are going down :(

Given that the most likely cause is complacency caused by over familiarity then GPS maps may or may not help! Also they can add a great deal of complication and may possibly encourage a disproportionate amount of head down attention. There could be a problem with the maps to mislead the crew such that an old version enters the system. The airline stops subscribing due to cost and hassle but yet the pilots still turn the equipment on or reference it. The pilots don't select the latest update. I don't know, a myriad of things.All those problems seem unlikely, but a crew took off on a taxiway and that is just as improbable in my view and I speak as a 737 pilot.But then we are faced with incidents and accidents made by intelligent, otherwise competent, experienced and 99.999% diligent crew. Flying is so safe now, there are so many movements that when something does happen it falls in the realm of 'how the **** did they let that happen' category, rather than good old fashioned going down in flames.

Ha! i do that all the time in the FSX Hawaii Mooney checkout mission,with the instructor telling me not to taxi faster than I can walk :( But back on subject, That was surly a massive breakdown in crew situational awareness. As a mechanic at Boston Logan,I always printed out a large current copy of the airport diagram,and clipped it to the yoke. And when in doubt, sing out to ATC.

Hmm...this seems to be happening with (relatively) alarming frequency. I remember a Delta 767 landed on a taxiway in Atlanta fairly recently. :(

I could see this happening at night time but that's strange the pilot, co-pilot, or ATC did not recognize the error. Glad to hear they were able to take off without killing anyone! Jim

Even less likely to happen at night as the taxiway lights would either be blue or have a green centreline (or both) rather than the white you'd find on a runway.