In early February 2026, we saw a wild incident, whereby a Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) plane attempted to takeoff of on a taxiway at a major airport. This incident was truly a head-scratcher, so I’d like to provide an update, as authorities have now published their preliminary report into the incident… and it’s still hard to…
Continue reading: Near Disaster: SAS Plane Tries To Take Off From Taxiway, Gets Up To 120+ MPH
Share your questions, experiences, and thoughts below.
The layout of the runways is so complex. Pilots can't figure it out. It must be Bilt's fault.
"On this flight, the very experienced 56-year-old captain with 15,000+ hours was the pilot flying, while the more junior 26-year-old first officer with just under 1,000 hours was the pilot monitoring."
oh man, you know Fielder is going to have Some Thoughts about this here dynamic
Well it was a significant delay on a short flight. Pilots: "Whatever, we'll just drive instead."
@ digital_notmad -- Hah! At least First Officer Blunt wasn't afraid to speak up!
If you fly enough you know that a runway and taxiway are very different. Runways are clearly marked with signs and lighting. It's hard to understand how two pilots could mistake a taxiway for a runway.
If you fly enough you know that a runway and taxiway are very different. Runways are clearly marked with signs and lighting. It's hard to understand how two pilots could mistake a taxiway for a runway.
I also take an occasional wrong turn, but then I am not a pilot. It is inexcusable for a pilot (two, here) for not being able to distinguish between a runway and taxiway.
Maverick was able to take off from a cratered taxiway in Top Gun: Maverick. Just saying...
From the emerging pattern, it seems these incidents are most likely to happen in dark conditions, with the crews not fully alert. I thought that there were now automated runway orientation and announcement systems in most planes, and maybe warnings if takeoff thrust is applied on a non-runway, but I might be mistaken.
How this article was promoted on X:
An initial report about the incident has just been published, shedding some light on how this happened.
Conclusion in article:
The initial report has now been published, and for better or worse, it doesn’t actually have any great insights.
You still have the single biggest reason behind deadly accidents as part of the equation, humans.
This was posted on OMMAT a few weeks ago.
I thought there may have been an update but I can not see any.
Is it just a re-hash of the previous article?
This was posted on OMMAT a few weeks ago.
I thought there may have been an update but I can not see any.
Is it just a re-hash of the previous article?
The captain should be tested for mental fitness, he could be suffering from cognitive decline. The FO is still pretty green and perhaps thought the captain knew what he was doing. Anyway it's very bizarre, akin to driving on the sidewalk
This is such a bizarre incident, especially considering the 22-second delay before the captain reacted to the FO's warnings. Given the discussion about human factors and pilot alertness in the comments, does anyone know if there are specific studies on how fatigue management in SAS compares to the regulatory standards being implemented in newer markets, like the ones mentioned for Brazilian operators at https://guiadeesportesda-sortebrasil.com/ regarding their technical compliance and monitoring?
It's not 22 seconds after FO called 'stop'; it's 22 seconds after start of takeoff. By that time the aircraft has reached the speed of over 100 knots. The incident went as follows:
* FO called 100 knots.
* Captain didn't immediately respond.
* FO looked around and realized that they weren't on a runway, and said: "This is wrong; stop, stop, stop, stop."
* Captain almost immediately started the rejected takeoff procedure.