Boeing cargo jet lands at wrong Kansas airport, unable to take off because of short runway

Twitchy ^ | November 21, 2013

[george76]

A Boeing Dreamlifter cargo jet, with a cargo hold among the largest by volume, accidentally landed at the wrong airport in Kansas Wednesday night, and was unable to take off due to the short runway. According to KWCH News, this type of plane requires 9,200 feet to take off whereas the runway at the airport is only 6,101 feet.

[Gamecock]

I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall in the cockpit when it dawned on the pilots they screwed up.

[central_va]

I think ATC approach control needs to be worried....

[Mashood]

Tower... we have a visual...

[Jack Hydrazine]

Saw this comment on Yahoo.

“In the 90’s a cargo plane inbound from South America to New Orleans ran into bad weather south of the city and lost power. The pilots managed the only known “dead stick” landing of a 747 in recorded history on a grass covered levee at NASA’s Michoud assembly facility. (The plane nearly crushed the employee parking lot on the way in.)

There really wasn’t anything really wrong with the plane. The weather was just so bad that it choked out the engines... After a small amount of checkout, and after unbolting and removing and unloading everything from that plane that they could, that 747 took off from that levee and flew to the aircraft maintenance facility at the airport. It turns out that an empty, lightly fueled, STRIPPED 747 can manage a takeoff roll in about 500 feet on emergency engine thrust..

I watched it. I’m not sure the thing had even rolled it’s own full length before the nose came up and it started a 45 degree climb-out. I might has well have been a rocket.

They will get that plane to take off. All they have to do is unload and lighten it. Given that they actually have over 6000 feet of runway to use instead of a beat up grass levee top, I expect they won’t even need to run the engines at the emergency maximum thrust level.

But whatever that plane is carrying as cargo will be stuck at that airport until it can be moved by surface transport.”

[Yosemitest]

From Eyewitness 12 News:

A Dreamlifter is SUPPOSED TO NEED a runway 9,199 feet long to take off AT MAXIMUM TAKEOFF WEIGHT,
and 7,000 feet to land AT MAXIMUM LANDING WEIGHT.

The runway length at Jabara is 6,101 feet.

[ConservativeStatement]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/boeing-jumbo-jet-hauling-dreamliner-parts-lands-at-wrong-kansas-airport/2013/11/21/10f1bf84-52aa-11e3-9ee6-2580086d8254_story.html

[ALPAPilot]

I bet unloaded and with a couple hours of fuel on board, they could get it off the ground in 2000 feet.

I’ve ferried a 747-400 from Oakland to SFO for maintenance once. It’s a rocket ship when it’s light.

[MrB]

So... unload it...

too simple?

[M Kehoe]

Hi. I'll bet you are correct. I saw a C-17 land at Albert Whitted airport a few months back.

Oh, I forgot, and take off too.

5.56mm

[freedomlover]

Why at night? So they don’t get caught?

[Dan in Wichita]

There are a BUNCH of major aircraft factories in that city. It has been that way since WW2.

Actually, it was that way long before WW2. I work at Cessna, and we have been here in the same place where I am right now since 1929.

[freedomlover]

[sport]

I believe that the air is heaver then. More lift, perhaps?

[central_va]

A pregnant 747?

[Army Air Corps]

I have yet to visit Kansas, but plan to do so soon. Thanks for the heads-up on this restaurant.

[Veggie Todd]

Maybe Otto landed it!

[Yosemitest]

Not even that difficult.
Just load enough fuel, or take off some of the fuel, so that you have the minimum 30 minute reserve and enough fuel to fly it from Jabara over to McConnell.

Next question.

Was the pilot Korean?

[MrB]

I think his name was “Ofa Kwee Gonnadai”.

[Yosemitest]

Booster Rocket carrier, or other special cargo.

[Yosemitest]

We had similar problems at Plattsburg AFB with Clinton County Airport 3 1/2 miles to the northwest.