How Can an Airliner Land at the Wrong Airport?
Posted by Vikas Acharya on November 16, 2016
Air travelers are asking, “How can a modern airliner land at the wrong airport?” My answer is simple: very easily.
Let me explain. First, flying a jet is not like driving your car: a typical aircraft approach speed is about three times the velocity of your car at highway speed. In flight, things happen fast; ten miles is more like a block or two in your car.
Throw in obscured visibility, poor lighting, or weather like rain or fog. Now, if you’re looking in the general direction of your destination, covering a mile every 20 seconds, visual references may make two different airports seem virtually identical. That’s partly because runways are typically laid out into the wind, and runways within fifty miles will probably be laid out exactly alike.
Add to the confusion the fact that small airports have minimal…
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