Boeing 747 Attempts Taxiway Takeoff At Riyadh Airport

Looking at a satellite image, taxiway Kilo is clearly marked as such, but it actually looks wider than runway 33R. Maybe it is possible for unfamiliar pilots to mistake it for a runway.

If it were night, the lights would be different; and if it were daytime, it'd have to be either really hazy or really overbright for them to not see the markings.

Seems like such an easy-to-recognize mistake to our less trained eyes. I am sure there is more.

While we're talking about "oopsies," how about this one: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/30/us/emergency-slide-delta-flight-found.html

Real shocker given how well DL management has maintained their 767s!

Any way to find out if this aircraft is equipped with RAAS (Runway awareness and advisory system)? This would alert the crew “On runway 33R”.

"The aircraft managed to come to a stop 4,780 feet (1,450 meters) down the runway, meaning that the plane stopped with just 100 feet to spare. Wow."
Did you mean "down the taxiway" considering they were taking off down the taxiway?

But aren't runway light white, and taxiway lights blue? Where the lights working and if they were working? If they were how then did the pilots think they were on a runway when they were actually on a taxiway?

Taxiway K is very wide and can therefore easily be mistaken for a runway. However, markings are clear …

How easy is that to see if in very bright sunlight, especially if facing the sun?

An example of how upgrading/overspecifying items (the taxiway) can sometimes have a negative effect on the whole setup.
If they put a triangle of grass/sand at the end of the taxiway with two curved routes in/out would that make it less likely for pilots to make a mistake?

Perhaps something to add to the checklist: "Does the runway show signs of rubber deposit? If not, is it really the runway?"

Remember when Harrison Ford landed on a taxiway at SNA?

Your article once again is full of BS for a blogger and frequent traveler. Boeing (the company) and Boeing 747 (the plane) did NOT make any mistakes in this instance. It is “Saudi Arabian Airlines”. Correct your damn headline. The operating carrier is Saudi Arabian Airlines. Not the plane. Not the plane maker.

None of these incidents need to happen. All we need is this: https://flightsafety.org/asw-article/topi-an-easy-fix-to-a-nagging-problem/

Only way I could see this happening is if the entire airport was dark for power/security concerns. No taxi lights, no taxiway lights and no runway lights. The taxiway is marked with giant yellow “X”’s at multiple points.