Airport Controller Yells 'Hold' at Plane,

[Gerald]

Landing in Boston, Possible Runway Collision Averted.An alert air traffic controller at Logan Airport in Boston may have averted a Thanksgiving Eve plane collision on a runway-- saving hundreds of lives on one of the busiest travel nights of the year.

“The pilot made the wrong turn,” Matt McCluskey, the president of the Boston Air Traffic Controllers Union, said. “Luckily, we were on top of our game.”

JetBlue Flight 1264 from Austin, with 91 passengers, had just landed and hooked right instead of left, which put it on a collision course with another JetBlue plane gaining speed for takeoff.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2010/12/07...est=latestnews


Note:Published December 07, 2010

[Tchocky]

Pilots turning right instead of left. Happens more often than you might think.

Last serious incident in Boston was this one - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2005_Lo...nway_incursion

[Oberon]

You only have to look at Tenerife, what a monumental disaster that was.

[Takeda Shingen]

Is it me, or is JetBlue always involved in this kind of thing? They strike me as a real fly-by-night operation, no pun intended.

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by Oberon

You only have to look at Tenerife, what a monumental disaster that was.

Correct me if I'm wrong but IIRC this was the worst air disaster for loss of life

[TLAM Strike]

Originally Posted by jimbuna

Correct me if I'm wrong but IIRC this was the worst air disaster for loss of life

Not if you count 9/11 as an air disaster.

[Takeda Shingen]

Acts of terrorism are not disasters.

Woah......who did that just sound like? I need a shower.

[HunterICX]

Originally Posted by TLAM Strike

Not if you count 9/11 as an air disaster.

which it isn't.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of..._toll#Aviation

1. 583 – Tenerife airport disaster (Tenerife, 1977)
2. 520 – Japan Airlines Flight 123 (Japan, 1985)
3. 349 – 1996 Charkhi Dadri mid-air collision (India, 1996)
4. 346 – Turkish Airlines Flight 981 (Paris, 1974)
5. 329 – Air India Flight 182 (Atlantic Ocean, 1985)
6. 302 – 2003 Iran Ilyushin Il-76 crash (Iran, 2003)
7. 301 – Saudia Flight 163 (Riyadh, 1980)
8. ~300 – Air Africa Antonov An-32 (Kinshasa, 1996)
9. 290 – Iran Air Flight 655 (Persian Gulf, 1988)
10. 273 – American Airlines Flight 191 (Chicago, 1979)

however....9/11 does have its entries in the list.

154. 92 – American Airlines Flight 11, (New York City, September 11, 2001 attacks)
205. 65 – United Airlines Flight 175, (New York City, September 11, 2001 attacks)
206. 64 – American Airlines Flight 77, (Virginia, September 11, 2001 attacks)
237. 44 – United Airlines Flight 93, (Pennsylvania, September 11, 2001 attacks)

HunterICX

[Platapus]

Originally Posted by Tchocky

Pilots turning right instead of left. Happens more often than you might think.

If I had a dollar for every time I confused right downwind with left downwind I would have exactly 1 dollar and that is 1 dollar too much!!

The most dangerous thing in the air is a solo student pilot.

There I was, no shi... uh this really happened to me.

Back in nineteen ought eighty-six, I was the aforementioned hazard to aerial navigation.

At our airport we almost always entered a left downwind for a landing (runway 30 was the "default" runway) when entering from the West. Well the wind changed and the pattern changed to Right downwind on the opposite runway.

The tower clearly told me to enter right downwind for 12 and I entered a perfect left downwind for 30 (Fortunately it was the weekend and no traffic at this time). I was actually proud of how smooth my entry was. What a good pilot I was turning out to be!

The tower operator, always the professional, simply asked me to confirm that I was in a right downwind for 12 (when clearly I wasn't. Duh, I was heading in the opposite direction!)

My first reaction, being a stupid student pilot was: of course I am. I know right from left. Does this guy think I am stupid? I can clearly see the runway out my left windo.... hmmm OMG!

"Offutt Tower, Tomahawk 2930B, my apologies, Making right 180 to enter right downwind for runway 12"

What really hurt was the tower's response

"2930B, thank you" That's all they said. I was so embarrassed. And lucky that my fuc... uh "pilot error" did not cause an accident.

Good thing we never have to face the tower people. They would kick our butts.... and for good reason too.

How student pilots survive is one of the mysteries of aviation.

[Growler]

How do we know Platapus is a pilot?


Simple.

His story started with: "No sh- there I was."

QED.

I was a student in 88, out of Gaithersburg. Too bad I ran out of money, time, and high school. Gonna finish that sucker someday, though.

[Platapus]

Originally Posted by Growler

I was a student in 88, out of Gaithersburg. Too bad I ran out of money, time, and high school. Gonna finish that sucker someday, though.

It is an expensive hobby. And I think the enjoyment depends on where you are. In the Mid-West flying is great. Get out of controlled airspace and you are free. Many small airports to go to. Life is good.

Here in the DC area. Two crowded. Everythings controlled. Less airports. Too much stress and not enough fun for me.

I have been thinking of getting back in to flying but then I look at my checkbook.

[Growler]

Yeah, you and me both. Although, up here in Carroll County, there's at least some area in which a guy can practice. Gaithersburg wasn't like that - that close to controlled airspace made people nervous - these days, I can't imagine how bad it must be down there. All I have to worry about up here is the occasional stray cow.

But then there's that whole "paying for it" deal - and that's where the plan falls apart.

Did get to fly from Carroll Regional to Stanton, VA a few years ago on a B-25. Now THAT was flying.