A Southwest Airlines jet attempted to take off from a taxiway yesterday, somehow mistaking it for a runway… in broad daylight. We’ve seen a lot of concerning close calls lately, though this is easily one of the most puzzling.
In this post:
Southwest jet accelerates to 70 knots on taxiway
This incident happened on Thursday, March 20, 2025, and involves Southwest flight WN3278, scheduled to operate from Orlando (MCO) to Albany (ALB), with a 9:25AM departure. The flight was operated by a Boeing 737-800 with the registration code N8315C.
The incident happened at around 9:30AM. The flight was supposed to have a super straightforward departure. At Orlando Airport, Southwest departs from airside 2, and the plane was supposed to take off from runway 17R, a very short distance away.
However, rather than taking off from runway 17R, the aircraft began its takeoff roll on taxiway H, which is parallel to the runway, just one turn too early. Below is a map that can help you visualize this, with my very low tech boxes and arrows (the left arrow is where the plane tried to take off, the right arrow is where it was supposed to take off). 😉
According to ADS-B data, the aircraft made it all the way to 70 knots before it rejected its takeoff, after an air traffic controller warned them of what was going on. The plane ended up returning to the gate. Then there was a crew change and an aircraft swap. The flight eventually operated around four hours behind schedule, with a Boeing 737 MAX 8 that had the registration code N8802Q.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has released the following statement:
“An air traffic controller at Orlando International Airport canceled the takeoff clearance for Southwest Airlines Flight 3278 around 9:30 a.m. local time on Thursday, March 20, after the aircraft began its takeoff roll on a taxiway. The taxiway runs parallel to the runway. The flight was headed to Albany International Airport in New York. No other aircraft were involved. The FAA is investigating.”
Meanwhile Southwest has released the following statement:
“Southwest Airlines Flight 3278 stopped safely on a taxiway at Orlando International Airport this morning after the Crew mistook the surface for the nearby runway. No injuries were reported. Southwest is engaged with the NTSB and FAA to understand circumstances of the event. The airline accommodated Customers on another aircraft to their intended destination of Albany. Nothing is more important to Southwest than the Safety of our Customers and Employees.”
How is such a mistake possible?!
With how many planes are in service at any given point, there are bound to be some issues, including some involving pilot error. However, of all the strange scenarios we’ve seen in recent times, this has to be one of the more unusual.
The concept of an aircraft trying to land or take off on a taxiway, or on the wrong runway, isn’t totally unheard of. What’s shocking to me here is the details. This was in broad daylight. On top of that, the pilots had one of the easiest and shortest taxi routes imaginable.
At most airlines, the captain is the one taxiing the plane, even if it’s the first officer flying the segment (I believe it’s the same at Southwest, but someone correct me if I’m wrong). So the captain accidentally turned the jet onto a taxiway that’s parallel to the runway… and then they just started their takeoff roll?
It’s one thing for one pilot to mistake a taxiway for a runway, but the other pilot didn’t notice it either? Runways look completely different than taxiways, from the lights, to the markings, to the width. It’s just hard to imagine the breakdown in crew resource management that could cause something like this. How distracted were the pilots?
Interestingly, up until recently, Southwest was being audited by the FAA due to its repeated close calls related to pilot error. The FAA ultimately determined that nothing was wrong at the airline. This came after a number of incidents, including a scary go around in Hawaii, a dangerously low approach in Oklahoma City, an inflight Dutch roll, taking off from a closed runway, and a terrifyingly low approach in Tampa.
Bottom line
Southwest is being investigated, after a 737 attempted to take off from a taxiway at Orlando Airport. While mistakes happen and pilots are only human, it’s incredibly strange to see something like this happen in daylight, with such an easy taxi. Runways look completely different than taxiways, so the fact that neither pilot seemingly knew what was going on is concerning, to put it mildly.
What do you make of this Southwest incident at Orlando Airport?
Southwest is NOT a safe airline!
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...
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.
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.
I am like how did that happen?
Because its Amerikkka
I heard that is Elon's way of increasing efficiency at airports...twice as many runways! :) :)
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.
…. and I thought that only Maverick did that sort of trick!
Just a classic airport whoopsie
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.
Cue the very scared guy screaming about imaginary computerized systems that could replace everyone in weeks.
Human being dinosaurs.
It could, only petrified dinosaurs are not allowing it yet. Your kind is overdue for extinction.
OBSOLETE HUMANS, nuff said.
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?
Maybe the Idiot writing Southwest's response can learn how to Write!!! E.g., not capitalize common Nouns!!!
re: this happening in broad daylight- wouldn't night be even harder to confuse given the completely different lighting for taxiways vs runways?
@ 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...
@ 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.
The TK incident was in EWR.
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
You might get a slightly different response if you expressed this opinion to the souls & crew aboard this 'Suckwad' flight !
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...
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.
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.
TD go start your own blog, I’m sure ones of readers will be interested in following you there
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.
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.
There was also an A340 (CI?) taking off from a taxiway at ANC, but I think that was many moons ago. Also at night.