How does this happen ? Aren’t the pilots in contact with the controllers/ tower ?
ATC clears them for a visual approach ... pilots visually spot the runway at Ellsworth, which is parallel to the Rapid City runway, and separated by about 10 miles. Pilots don’t crosscheck ILS or other navaids.
It’s happened before.
...not to mention an interstate that seperates the airfield from the airport.
“Pilots don’t crosscheck ILS or other navaids.”
“Don’t?”
Actually: Pilots USUALLY crosscheck ILS/Nav/Aids.
Pilots don’t crosscheck ILS or other navaids.
...like flaps deployed or landing gear down......or the copilot that heard gear up while speeding down the runway for take off...when the pilot said cheer up while consoling his copilot with a failing marriage
Same thing has happened in Tampa on multiple occasions. The runway for the international airport is parallel to MacDill AFB and less than 10 miles apart. Delta has had at least two Tampa-bound flights land at MacDill in the last 15 years.
The airline’s most embarrassing “wrong airfield” incident happened in Kentucky. Flight bound for Frankfort landed in Lexington which is more than 30 miles away.