# SWA Plane Lands at Wrong Airport **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 13, 2014, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swa-plane-lands-at-wrong-airport/678653 "2014-01-13T13:35:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![SanDiegoTim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/85e7bf/32.png) [@SanDiegoTim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanDiegoTim)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2014, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swa-plane-lands-at-wrong-airport/678653/1 "2014-01-13T13:35:43Z")
There’s a story this morning about a SWA plane landing at Taney County Airport (much shorter runway) near Branson instead of the actual Branson airport. The geography in and around both is similar and there only a few miles apart so I guess it’s not overly surprising. Anyway, at what point would the pilot have realized he blew it? He slammed on the brakes so he definitely knew it after hit touched down, but might he have realized the error on approach but it was too late to abort? ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2014, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swa-plane-lands-at-wrong-airport/678653/2 "2014-01-13T13:37:37Z")
Here’s what I don’t get about this incident, as opposed to the recent one at Jabara. The runways at Branson and Taney aren’t even in line; they’re about 20 degrees apart. If Approach put him on the right heading for Branson, wouldn’t the pilot have been wary about a 20-degree course correction for the runway he landed on? ---
**Author:** ![Flywheel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Flywheel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flywheel)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2014, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swa-plane-lands-at-wrong-airport/678653/3 "2014-01-13T13:44:11Z")
At least he didn’t land in [Bronson, Missouri](http://babysimpson.co.uk/gallery/frames/13/dabf09/304.jpg). ---
**Author:** ![bizerta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@bizerta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bizerta)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2014, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swa-plane-lands-at-wrong-airport/678653/4 "2014-01-13T13:57:12Z")
This is not that unusual. [http://www.thirdamendment.com/wrongway.html](http://www.thirdamendment.com/wrongway.html) This page has already been updated with that flight. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2014, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swa-plane-lands-at-wrong-airport/678653/5 "2014-01-13T14:01:17Z")
Dare I ask what planes and wrong airports have to do with quartering soldiers? ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2014, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swa-plane-lands-at-wrong-airport/678653/6 "2014-01-13T14:21:48Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > Dare I ask what planes and wrong airports have to do with quartering soldiers? From the site’s [homepage.](http://www.thirdamendment.com/index.html) > [@](#): > > Welcome to Third [Amendment.com](http://Amendment.com). **This site in fact has very little to do with the Third Amendment to the U.S. Constitution - which isn’t surprising, because the amendment has very little practical application.** The title is instead symbolic of my interest in often curious and obscure corners of the law, ranging from “missing” constitutional amendments to the implications of rapidly-changing technology for legal practice. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2014, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swa-plane-lands-at-wrong-airport/678653/7 "2014-01-13T14:31:15Z")
I heard the pilot to control tower audio (you can search for it), IIRC after landing the control tower asked the pilot do you know where you are?, Pilot replies almost laughingly yes, The control tower then says our radar shows you came down at (X) airport, pilot has a oh s#1T moment. ---
**Author:** ![buddha\_david](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@buddha\_david](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buddha_david)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2014, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swa-plane-lands-at-wrong-airport/678653/8 "2014-01-13T15:45:54Z")
Good thing the [pilot’s not a doctor.](http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/oct/09/patient-legless-mistaken-amputation-brazilian-hospital) ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2014, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swa-plane-lands-at-wrong-airport/678653/9 "2014-01-13T15:46:02Z")
> [@SanDiegoTim](#): > > There’s a story this morning about a SWA plane landing at Taney County Airport (much shorter runway) near Branson instead of the actual Branson airport. The geography in and around both is similar and there only a few miles apart so I guess it’s not overly surprising. Anyway, at what point would the pilot have realized he blew it? He slammed on the brakes so he definitely knew it after hit touched down, but might he have realized the error on approach but it was too late to abort? You can pretty much abort up until you are on the ground and the lift spoilers are deployed, so they won’t have realised anything was wrong on the approach. I guess they didn’t know anything was wrong until the tower told them. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2014, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swa-plane-lands-at-wrong-airport/678653/10 "2014-01-13T16:15:39Z")
Apparently it took two hours to have a stairway that fits that plane toted over from the big airport. “Ladies and gentlemen, we realize that you settled for Branson and had girded yourself to begin the slog through the comedy and pop hits of yesteryear, but I must announce that we are all literally trapped. While we wait for our freedom, please join the flight attendants in singing ‘Moon River’.” ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2014, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swa-plane-lands-at-wrong-airport/678653/11 "2014-01-13T17:07:40Z")
> [@Tom\_Tildrum](#): > > “…While we wait for our freedom, please join the flight attendants in singing ‘Moon River’.” That would only increase damages in the inevitable lawsuits. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2014, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swa-plane-lands-at-wrong-airport/678653/12 "2014-01-13T17:38:19Z")
> [@Tom\_Tildrum](#): > > Apparently it took two hours to have a stairway that fits that plane toted over from the big airport. Why not deploy the emergency slides? ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2014, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swa-plane-lands-at-wrong-airport/678653/13 "2014-01-13T17:41:01Z")
Emergency slides are dangerous. They are better than burning to death or drowning but worse than waiting patiently on board. ---
**Author:** ![Isilder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/cc9497/32.png) [@Isilder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isilder)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2014, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swa-plane-lands-at-wrong-airport/678653/14 "2014-01-13T17:57:54Z")
> [@SanDiegoTim](#): > > He slammed on the brakes so he definitely knew it after hit touched down, but might he have realized the error on approach but it was too late to abort? Its easy to keep flying. In fact, its easy to put some wheels on the ground and keep flying. Oh he’d sooner touch and go than knowingly try to land at a short runway. Its when he wipes off a lot of speed on the ground that he gets stuck on the ground. Perhaps on touching down he saw the numbers on the signs beside the runway (length of runway left.) and realized it is a short runway and went for maximum stopping power then. ---
**Author:** ![steronz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steronz/32/11765_2.png) [@steronz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steronz)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2014, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swa-plane-lands-at-wrong-airport/678653/15 "2014-01-13T18:04:30Z")
I know this is a dumb question, but if we assume that lawyers don’t exist, SWA policies are cowboy-esque, and the plane had enough fuel and takeoff room for it’s weight, why couldn’t they just fly to the correct airport with all the passengers on board? ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2014, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swa-plane-lands-at-wrong-airport/678653/16 "2014-01-13T18:09:09Z")
They certainly could do that _if_ they had the takeoff room. But they don’t. They’ll have to offload all the cargo and most of the fuel and possibly the seats in order to retrieve the plane. ---
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2014, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swa-plane-lands-at-wrong-airport/678653/17 "2014-01-13T19:41:11Z")
Did they (I assume) transport all the passengers to the right airport afterward? ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2014, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swa-plane-lands-at-wrong-airport/678653/18 "2014-01-13T20:12:08Z")
> [@Rachellelogram](#): > > Did they (I assume) transport all the passengers to the right airport afterward? Yup: > [@](#): > > The passengers were bused from the Taney County airport to Branson Airport. > **[Question: How could a passenger jet land at the wrong airport? Answer: Uh … |...](https://www.cnn.com/2014/01/13/travel/southwest-plane-wrong-airport/index.html?hpt=hp_t2)** > > Welcome to Branson, Missouri. Well, maybe not. A Southwest Airlines plane carrying more than 100 passengers landed at the wrong Missouri airport Sunday. ---
**Author:** ![steronz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steronz/32/11765_2.png) [@steronz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steronz)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2014, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swa-plane-lands-at-wrong-airport/678653/19 "2014-01-13T20:23:06Z")
> [@friedo](#): > > They certainly could do that _if_ they had the takeoff room. But they don’t. They’ll have to offload all the cargo and most of the fuel and possibly the seats in order to retrieve the plane. Dang, I didn’t realize it was that bad. I guess JATO rockets are out of the question. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2014, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swa-plane-lands-at-wrong-airport/678653/20 "2014-01-13T23:13:49Z")
> [@steronz](#): > > Dang, I didn’t realize it was that bad. I guess JATO rockets are out of the question. Not if “Here, hold my beer,” is an acceptable term for “cleared to take off.” [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swa-plane-lands-at-wrong-airport/678653.md?page=2)