An Alaska Airlines passenger jet landed on Seattle-Tacoma International Airport’s central taxiway – not the runway – on Dec. 19, the fourth time a pilot has made the error in the history of the airport.
Nobody was hurt in the 8:33 a.m. incident, and the Boeing 737-900, Flight 27 from Chicago, brought all passengers to the terminal without issue.
“It landed safely and taxied to the gate,” said Port of Seattle spokesman Perry Cooper. “Most likely the passengers on board had no idea they landed on a taxiway.”
Both Alaska Airlines (NYSE: ALK) and the Federal Aviation Administration are investigating the incident, but neither spokesmen for the organizations would elaborate on what happened or whether any actions, if any, have been taken since.
Taxiways are essentially roads that pilots use to drive aircraft between the terminal and their points for takeoff and landing. Some Sea-Tac taxiways cross the runways, while others, such as the one taxiway where Flight 27 landed, run parallel to the runways.
Landing on a taxiway is dangerous. It could cause a collision with aircraft already on the taxiway or about to cross it.
The taxiway crossings have the equivalent of stop signs, and aircraft can’t proceed without an OK from air traffic controllers, but if a plane were already half-way across when another was coming in to land, it could result in a collision.
The Dec. 19 incident happened just days after workers finished paving Sea-Tac’s central runway, which may have led to the pilot’s confusion.
The runway and taxiway are the same length – about 9,400 feet – and are only 600 feet apart. The newly paved center runway would not yet have accumulated the dark tire marks characteristic of a heavily used runway, and so the light-colored concrete may have looked similar on both.
The weather was clear on Dec. 19, so the pilot might have been using a visual approach as opposed to using instruments, Cooper said, but he was not sure that was the case.
Pilot mistakes over Sea-Tac’s center taxiway, called “Tango” in aircraft control lingo, have caused years of debate between the National Transportation Safety Board, Sea-Tac officials and the FAA, according to a 2005 Seattle Times story.
“This is a pretty rare thing. These are very well marked,” Cooper said. “There’s a real distinction between taxiway and runway because of markings.”
But some of the complications are caused by the fact that pilots often approach from the north, which means that the surface can be obscured from sunlight from the south. In addition, when the runway is wet – as it often is in rainy Seattle – any runway markings can be hard to see.
The last time a jet actually landed on the taxiway– and the pilot didn’t pull up just before landing after realizing his or her mistake – was in 2004, when a propeller-driven Dash 8, flown by Air Canada unit Jazz landed with 32 passengers on board. No one was injured, but the NTSB investigated and recommended the airport mark the taxiway with a giant “T” so pilots could see it when they came in for a landing.
Since then the airport has added a third runway, which changed the NTSB’s assessment.
Puget Sound Business Journal
Tropic Ocean Airways launches new routes
Tropic Ocean Airways (Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood) has announced it will start scheduled passenger service to St. Petersburg’s downtown Albert Whitted Airport. The airline will operate twice-weekly Cessna 208B Grand Caravan flights from its FLL base starting on February 1.
Downtown St. Petersburg (and Tampa across Tampa Bay) are the birthplace locations of the first scheduled airline service in the world.
The airline started operations in 2009 and is owned by Rob Ceravolo and Nick Veltre.
The airline issued this statement:
Successful Florida based airline, Tropic Ocean Airways, is pleased to announce the launch of a new scheduled service from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport to Downtown St Petersburg.
The new service, beginning February 1, 2016, will allow for business trips between Downtown St Pete and South Florida, as well as leisure travel for week and weekends trips.
The new service will be operated by Tropic Ocean Airways new Wheeled Cessna Caravan Ex aircraft with executive style seating for up to 9 guests. The twice-weekly service will begin on February 1, 2016 and will operate on Mondays and Fridays with two flights per day.
Monday and Friday Scheduled Service
Depart FLL 06:30 – Arrive SPG 07:48
Depart SPG 08:24 – Arrive FLL 09:42
Depart FLL 16:00 – Arrive SPG 17:18
Depart SPG 17:54 – Arrive FLL 19:12
The announcement of Tropic Ocean Airways new service further establishes the success of the airline since it began in 2009. During 2015 Tropic Ocean Airways added several new scheduled service destinations and also expanded popular existing routes by adding extra flight days. Tropic Ocean Airways are set to continue their success and expand their services further in 2016 with new routes to be announced for The Florida Keys and destinations in The Bahamas such as Fresh Creek, Andros, North Eleuthera, Cat Cay, and more.
World Airline News
Tropic Ocean Airways wants to make getting around Florida easier for the Tampa Bay business traveler.
The Fort Lauderdale private jet company is bringing commercial air service back to Albert Whitted Airport staring in February with nonstop flights to and from St. Petersburg and Fort Lauderdale International Airport. It’s the first of what Tropic Ocean Air CEO Rob Ceravolo predicts will be many flights coming to Albert Whitted, which for decades has only been a private general aviation airport.
Tropic Ocean will offer two flights a day — in the mornings and evenings — on Mondays and Fridays starting Feb. 1. The flights are intended to be a daily travel option for local business travelers who need to get to South Florida and return home the same day. The service could draw new daily or weekly international tourists from the South Florida market to Tampa Bay, as well, said Chris Steinocher, president and CEO of the St. Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce.
Flights will start at $299 each way, though the Tropic Ocean website this week offered prices at $249 each way starting in April.
Depending on the success of the initial service to Fort Lauderdale, Ceravolo hopes to add direct service from St. Petersburg to Tallahassee, Jacksonville and the Keys next.
Tropic Ocean Airways has a fleet of seaplanes and private jets that land in tropical destinations usually only accessible by boat or helicopter. The company offers private charter services to Florida coastal destinations, the Keys and the Bahamas.
Starting in St. Petersburg, Tropic Air is offering scheduled service for purchase by the seat. Two pilots will fly a nine-seat Cessna 208B EX Wheeled to and from Albert Whitted.
There is some appeal for business travelers who are willing to pay more to avoid a regional airport like Tampa International or St. Pete-Clearwater International. The company says passengers don’t have to wait in long security and customs lines when they fly on its chartered planes. Ceravolo, a former Navy Top Gun fighter pilot, founded the company in 2009. In addition to private charter flights, Tropic Ocean offers cargo and freight services and yacht charter services.
Tampa Bay Times
Emirates looking into Ft. Lauderdale but…
Emirates evaluated the possibility of adding service to Fort Lauderdale recently, but the runway at the airport may be too short to support the flight.
In September, officials from the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention and Visitors Bureau held discussions with Emirates employees at a Routes conference in Durban, South Africa to encourage the airline to consider adding the service.
Broward County Aviation officials contacted Emirates shortly thereafter. The airline responded that “airfield compatibility” might be an issue for the airline’s 777-300ER and 777-200LR aircraft, but that their Flight Operations team was studying it. The two sides last communicated in late October.
The longest runway at Fort Lauderdale is just 9,000 feet, much shorter than what exists at MIA. The airline would be forced to load their plane with fewer passengers and cargo in order to be able to take off, making an A380 out of the question for such a long flight. Any 777 type is also likely not economically feasible, airport officials acknowledge. A 787 might work, but Emirates doesn’t operate any.
Emirates has also told the airport that their strategic interest at this time is in nonstop flights from Dubai to the U.S., and the airline wouldn’t consider flying from Europe to Fort Lauderdale or Miami. FLL officials had requested that the airline consider flying via Milan in order to avoid the payload hit, but were rejected.
Emirates has an extensive partnership with JetBlue, which has a hub at FLL.
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