Southwest Airlines plane mistakenly uses taxiway as runway, fortunately stopped

Southwest Airlines’ flight was grounded on Thursday at Orlando International Airport after a pilot mistakenly initiated takeoff procedures on a taxiway instead of the runway. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reported that flight 3278, bound for Albany, New York, began its takeoff on the taxiway before air traffic control intervened and cancelled its departure clearance. The taxiway in question runs parallel to the runway, causing confusion in the pilot’s actions.

Southwest Airlines issued a statement attributing the incident to the crew’s confusion, stating that they mistook the taxiway for a nearby runway. Typically, taxiways are used by aircraft for slow-speed ground movement to access runways or other areas of the airport. Both FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are currently investigating the situation to determine the specific details surrounding the incident.

Passengers onboard the aircraft were rebooked onto another flight as the grounded plane awaited further inspection and clearance for its next departure. NTSB has yet to comment on the incident, leaving the investigation ongoing.

This incident occurred just months after FAA conducted an enhanced safety review of Southwest Airlines. The airline faced multiple incidents last year, including a plane descending close to just 400 feet above the water near the Hawaiian coast and another taking off from a closed runway. Despite these occurrences, FAA stated in December last year that no “significant safety concerns” were found during the review.

Following these incidents, Southwest Airlines required all pilots to undergo additional training at their headquarters in Dallas. The airline continues to cooperate with authorities and regulatory bodies to ensure the safety and security of their operations.

This information is based on reports from Bloomberg News.