Southwest 737 Tries To Take Off From Taxiway In Orlando

Wasn’t there an incident a few years ago involving Turkish Airlines jet trying to take off from a taxiway, maybe, at SFO? That was a night flight but still puzzling.

clearly the difference between a taxiway and runway should be very obvious to the most junior pilots but where is the discussion about the closure of LHR due to power failure?

that is a far bigger story

The TK incident was in EWR.

re: this happening in broad daylight- wouldn't night be even harder to confuse given the completely different lighting for taxiways vs runways?

Maybe the Idiot writing Southwest's response can learn how to Write!!! E.g., not capitalize common Nouns!!!

I fly on Southwest most of the times so I am definitely concerned even I know what a runway looks like and markings are different so what was wrong with both of those who was flying the plane?

Cue the very scared guy screaming about imaginary computerized systems that could replace everyone in weeks.

@ at -- Fair point, and I think it depends on whether you're taking off or landing, and the runway and taxiway layout. You're absolutely right that at night the lights should be a dead giveaway. However, during the day, you have the runway markings, the centerline having a very different design, it's easier to tell the width of a taxiway vs. runway, etc.

So I guess my point is that either is hard to imagine, but I just find this particularly strange, because most incidents of these types that we've seen have been at night.

Runways are clearly marked so how could the pilot get confused? It would be like a motorist confusing a railroad track for a roadway. Seems as though they may have been distracted by non flying activity.

Just a classic airport whoopsie

There was also an A340 (CI?) taking off from a taxiway at ANC, but I think that was many moons ago. Also at night.

You might get a slightly different response if you expressed this opinion to the souls & crew aboard this 'Suckwad' flight !

Start your own blog.

bossa,
I doubt that any passengers even knew what happened because the vast majority of people close the window shades and have their eyes glued to a personal device even if they knew the difference between a runway and taxiway from a passenger seat

willy,
Ben did write an article on the LHR incident and explained why. And it has received many more comments than the WN issue.

…. and I thought that only Maverick did that sort of trick!

TD go start your own blog, I’m sure ones of readers will be interested in following you there

I it's something to do with AI, and China.. they're getting into our (US) system somehow and causes these accidents. And I think US needs to update Thier equipment anyways.

Human being dinosaurs.
It could, only petrified dinosaurs are not allowing it yet. Your kind is overdue for extinction.

OBSOLETE HUMANS, nuff said.

I heard that is Elon's way of increasing efficiency at airports...twice as many runways! 🙂 🙂

I am like how did that happen?

Possibly more challenging than the flight itself is navigating from the terminal to the assigned runway at a congested airport; especially at night or with low visibility due to weather. Both the Captain and First Officer are equally at fault here.

The cockpits now have an IPad size display showing taxi progress and position continuously displayed in real time. Great tool.

Had they been much faster, near their computed reject speed, it would probably have been safer to continue the takeoff assuming taxiway length and runway length are the same.

Because its Amerikkka

As a commercial pilot since 1991, this is something I don't get. The markings as so different between a taxiway and runway...especially if you are on a runway YOU KNOW IT.

WN took off from a taxiway. Ben covered it first.

LHR melted down overnight. Ben covered it later.

You're miffed and want the podium to yourself? happens every day.

some things will never change.

I'm not surprised. Especially if it was an airport that the pilot had not been to often. When I was a kid I flew out of March AFB, my dad was the pilot. I could not make heads or tails out of the different runways and taxi areas. We were in the Areo Clubs Cessna 150, its small. For years we had flown off a small one lane runway, then they changed it & we were flying out on these huge runways that the bombers, cargo, a fighter planes used. I couldn't tell what was a runway and what was a taxi area. My dad was fine & he knew because he was an USAF pilot & had used those runways for years, but I found it difficult.

Southwest is NOT a safe airline!

Could any of this be related to how obsessed crew (including pilots) are with social media and their phones lately? I have been noticing alot more content from them onboard and during flight. Thats sort of like a surgeon doing this during a surgery. Very concerning!

Have friends at SWA…DEI

Pilots get tired and after many stops can make a genuine mistake luckily we have good ATC and Ground monitors that help us all dont blame Pilots all the time their work loads are too much after trying to make schedules and keep passengers happy
The lighting systems at airports are really also totally useless as they are all on and there should be a system of lights that takes the plane to the corect runway so not only will ths help the FAA need to look into this also instead of critising Pilots

What were the weather conditions at the time this happened. Not that would of been a good excuse. Big difference between taxiways and runways.

Retired Airline/Military pilot

On this Flight?

This was one of the easiest taxi routes at any airport.

And the runway is so much wider. No reason at this airport to make this mistake.

The only thing that was used to find the runway were eyeballs. Very easy to due in this case. Not complicated.