USAF C17 Pilot - Wrong Airport

[Flying Fox]

Bit of a woopsie here -

Pilot lands huge plane on tiny runway

A US Air Force pilot was left red-faced after accidentally landing a massive C-17 cargo plane at the wrong airport, which was much too small for it.

They landed at what I assume is a small private airport. They even managed to get it back in the air. Wonder if they needed JATO packs???

 

[Mal]

Whoops.

Likely they just stripped the plane of all kit, minimal fuel etc and the runway was just long enough to take off.

 

[richie9x]

Critical field length for a C17 in those conditions (sea level, good conditions) for an empty C17 is 2500 feet. The longest runway at that airport is 3400 feet so it could have done it with a bit to spare.

 

[markis10]

The pilot just did the job the aircraft was designed to do, just the wrong job on that day. Yet another case of a pilot refusing to listen to what the aircraft was trying to say....

 

[richie9x]

I found a video of the take off. It took off with room to spare.

[video=youtube;J7SE-0tD2HE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7SE-0tD2HE[/video]

 

[samh004]

Good job landing it, though I'm sure it's designed to make short landings if required.

Unlucky for that pilot though, imagine he's in a bit of hot water now.

I found a video of the take off. It took off with room to spare.

[video=youtube;J7SE-0tD2HE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7SE-0tD2HE[/video]

That runway certainly does look undersized for the type of plane, but very surprised how close people were allowed to stand. Probably would have stood there myself if allowed, but just seems odd to me.




 

[Flying Fox]

I found a video of the take off. It took off with room to spare.

[video=youtube;J7SE-0tD2HE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7SE-0tD2HE[/video]

Great job. A real stand on the brakes & rev the engines take-off!

 

[Hvr]

So did the pilot who landed there get to take off or was he still doing paperwork to explain his faux pas?

And in the long term would he be advised to search for a new career that didn't require map reading?

 

[juddles]

Critical field length for a C17 in those conditions (sea level, good conditions) for an empty C17 is 2500 feet. The longest runway at that airport is 3400 feet so it could have done it with a bit to spare.

Yep. Piece of piss.

What I loved about the article was this: "It was extremely loud, the wings were wavering a little bit because he [the pilot] was doing a curving type of thing," witness Don Sipila told WTSP.....Mr Sipila, who is also a pilot, said he suspects the air force pilot mistook the tiny airport for an air force base eight-kilometres away.
A ¨curving type of thing¨.?? WTF?? Great witness/pilot.