737 lands at wrong airport ! On a 3,700 ft runway ?

[E6BAV8R 88]

Seems to be a regular occurence in the USA...

 

No.  You're just going to hear about it when it happens in the USA, as opposed to other parts of the world, because the media loves aviation for some reason.

[CrewF16 26]

Was it on radar though? What's the coverage like from the radar site? Does the tower even have a radar feed? We need to wait for the facts before making assumptions.

 

I think you can rest assured that Branson has Radar. Southwest would not fly a regular schedule into any airport without Radar and ILS coverage. Branson is close to the same size as my home airport (KCMH Cols OH) and it can cover at least 100 miles from tower radar.

 

 

 

And to reply to Andrew. I agree the bottom line falls with the pilots but I think the controller could have been there to aid in the situation.

[Captain_Barfbag 31]

No.  You're just going to hear about it when it happens in the USA, as opposed to other parts of the world, because the media loves aviation for some reason.

 

Just from Flight Simulator, I would say that we have far more airports, packed much closer together, than most places in the world.

[IUBrian 151]

Does it have ILS? My quick look didn't reveal any ILS approach to its lone runway.

[fppilot 4,391]

New twist.  There was a third person in the cockpit, a company dispatcher in the jump seat.  He was authorized to do so by Southwest.

[Dave_YVR 994]

 

 

I think you can rest assured that Branson has Radar.

 

 Maybe, maybe not. Until It's a known fact of what the coverage is like you cant make assumptions. With the terrain in the area etc. Too many people assume that there is solid radar coverage to the ground everywhere.

[roymg1 0]

I do it all the time

[IUBrian 151]

"No TRACON (which stands for Terminal Radar Approach Control Facility) serves relatively rural Branson. So, the center that controls high-altitude flight gave the Southwest plane the correct coordinates for a Branson landing and then handed off directly to the Branson tower."

 

http://m.washingtonpost.com/local/trafficandcommuting/southwest-airlines-plane-mistakenly-lands-in-wrong-airport-miles-from-its-destination/2014/01/13/e21256a6-7c8e-11e3-93c1-0e888170b723_story.html

[jerry allen 3]

I think Branson tower was closed.  It is not open at night.  The radar site used for that area is KSGF and I would bet the radar coverage doesn't allow for following an airplane into the airport at approach altitudes.  "Radar contact lost, report landing."

The pilots screwed up.  Lucky no one was hurt.

[TexXxan91 19]

I think they made a pretty good landing.  :Applause:

[fppilot 4,391]

 

From the Washington Post news article referenced above:

 

The pilot had been turned to approach Branson from the south on a compass heading of 014 degrees. M. Graham Clark Downtown Airport, a smaller airport in Hollister, Mo., that handles small private planes, was on a heading of 012 degrees. The Southwest plane would have had to almost fly over it to reach Branson.

 

The writer did not check his facts.  If approaching Branson from the south, the first airport the pilot would see would clearly be the major "Branson Airport" (KBBG).  The M Graham Clark muni airport (KPLK) that the Southwest plane landed at is some 7 nm NW of Branson Airport.  For his scenario to occur the pilot would have to have been cleared to land to the south, not approach from the south.  So one statement or the other is false.  The pilot was either cleared to land toward the south, or, if cleared from the south he would have reached KBBG first.

[n4gix 4,949]

Time of arrival at the "wrong airport" was ~1825 (6:25PM CST).

 

The tower at Branson is open from 0700 to 2100.

 

Clearly, they had received landing clearance, so shouldn't the tower operator have at least wondered if he/she should send out the coon dogs?

[Dave_YVR 994]

 

 

The writer did not check his facts. If approaching Branson from the south, the first airport the pilot would see would clearly be the major "Branson Airport" (KBBG). The M Graham Clark muni airport (KPLK) that the Southwest plane landed at is some 7 nm NW of Branson Airport. For his scenario to occur the pilot would have to have been cleared to land to the south, not approach from the south. So one statement or the other is false.

 

 A typical media mistake when it comes to anything aviation.

[IUBrian 151]

It may have just been a mistake, but either way, the gist of his description is accurate, I believe. It appears that it's flight path on approach was taking it to the NW of KBBG, flying from NE to SW, to land to the south on 14, which would take it over KPLK. I'm not sure how accurate Flightaware's track is, but that's what it appears like. Even if he was going to land from the south, to get to that point the plane's flight path still would have taken it over KPLK before it would make the left turn to approach KBBG from the south. But I'm guessing it was a mistake in writing as opposed to facts.

[fppilot 4,391]

 

 

It appears that it's flight path on approach was taking it to the NW of KBBG, flying from NE to SW, to land to the south on 14, which would take it over KPLK.

 

And that makes more sense.