# 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:** 12\ **Page:** 3
**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 15, 2014, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swa-plane-lands-at-wrong-airport/678653/41 "2014-01-15T05:20:18Z")
And by “use” we mean “at least look at them now and then.” ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2014, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swa-plane-lands-at-wrong-airport/678653/42 "2014-01-15T05:53:50Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > And by “use” we mean “at least look at them now and then.” I actually don’t blame someone for screwing up royally from time to time but there are 2 people in the cockpit for redundancy. 90% of the flight is automated so really all it amounts to is checking stuff off. It was the aviation business that spawned checkoff sheets for this reason. It’s amazing that even a short checkoff list can uncover something useful. -engine still attached - check -fuel in both tanks - check -movable parts move correctly - check -nacelle covers removed - OMG … gets out and removes them ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2014, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swa-plane-lands-at-wrong-airport/678653/43 "2014-01-17T12:20:00Z")
> [@Isilder](#): > > Actually they should have lights to display the big X as in “Do not use ! Do NOT approach” > and they turn it off when there is clearance to land given … the other end has a light to say “do not land from this direction” still… > There could be two categories one X, except in emergencies . two X’s. NEVER ( the runway is simply unusable. eg damaged, has equipment on it… etc ) Actually, an X at the end of the runway means that the runway is closed and cannot be used at all. Usually it’s painted on, of course. As far as runway length goes, I thought the crosswalk looking pattern near the end of the runway was supposed to indicate runway length. I’ll see if I can find a page that explains the markings. EDIT: I was wrong. The crosswalking looking pattern, called the Threshold Marking, sometimes indicates width, but otherwise is just eight uniform stripes at the end of the runway. [Cite.](http://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/publications/atpubs/aim/aim0203.html) ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2014, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swa-plane-lands-at-wrong-airport/678653/44 "2014-01-17T16:14:17Z")
> [@Richard\_Pearse](#): > > Emergency slides are dangerous. They are better than burning to death or drowning but worse than waiting patiently on board. ESPECIALLY when the passengers are largely older folks (as I assume a group bound for Branson would be). ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2014, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swa-plane-lands-at-wrong-airport/678653/45 "2014-01-17T23:34:14Z")
I’ve flown in a KC-135 a few times (close relative of the Boeing 707, both being derived from the Boeing Dash 80). They kept a ladder in the cargo hold/passenger cabin (same thing on the 135, which uses the lower deck that an airliner would use for cargo to carry extra fuel instead). If they needed to get in or out of the plane without using a gantry or some other apparatus to access the doors, they’d open a hatch in the floor of the cockpit and lower the ladder down through it. I’m not even sure if the KC-135s have emergency slides. I’m pretty sure if the crew and any passengers had to evac in a hurry, their main exit route is one of the window exits, then jumping off the wing (the pilots would lower the flaps to make an improvised slide). Not really safe, but if they’re having to do that, far safer than remaining on the plane. Otherwise they just hang around until the ground crew produces a set of stairs to let everyone out through the cargo hatch (where an airliner has a little door, the 135 has a big ass hatch that flips up Delorean style) ---
**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 18, 2014, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swa-plane-lands-at-wrong-airport/678653/46 "2014-01-18T03:36:37Z")
> [@Raguleader](#): > > EDIT: I was wrong. The crosswalking looking pattern, called the Threshold Marking, sometimes indicates width, but otherwise is just eight uniform stripes at the end of the runway. [Cite.](http://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/publications/atpubs/aim/aim0203.html) You are kind of right, but it’s the touchdown markings that vary according to runway length rather than the threshold markings. There are a few standards for markings though, I don’t know if the US follows the ICAO standard or not. ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2014, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swa-plane-lands-at-wrong-airport/678653/47 "2014-01-18T04:44:33Z")
Seems like length and width would both be very useful bits of info to indicate, but I guess they don’t want to risk putting too much distracting info out there for the pilot trying to glide in at a few hundred knots. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2014, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swa-plane-lands-at-wrong-airport/678653/48 "2014-01-18T14:41:28Z")
The pilot is supposed to already know the runway is long enough and wide enough before he even attempts to land on it. ---
**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 18, 2014, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swa-plane-lands-at-wrong-airport/678653/49 "2014-01-18T20:02:46Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > …It’s amazing that even a short checkoff list can uncover something useful. > > -engine still attached - check > -fuel in both tanks - check > -movable parts move correctly - check > -nacelle covers removed - OMG … gets out and removes them You might enjoy these: [http://www.ajokeaday.com/Clasificacion.asp?ID=2](http://www.ajokeaday.com/Clasificacion.asp?ID=2) ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2014, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swa-plane-lands-at-wrong-airport/678653/50 "2014-01-18T23:45:16Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > The pilot is supposed to already know the runway is long enough and wide enough before he even attempts to land on it. Well yes. Unless you line up on the wrong one. I thought this occurred during daylight but it didn’t. It’s a little harder to judge stuff at night because there’s nothing to visually compare it to. We lose depth perception after a hundred feet so it’s all down to seeing other things like parked aircraft or nearby buildings to make an educated guess. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2014, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swa-plane-lands-at-wrong-airport/678653/51 "2014-01-18T23:49:23Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > You might enjoy these: [http://www.ajokeaday.com/Clasificacion.asp?ID=2](http://www.ajokeaday.com/Clasificacion.asp?ID=2) An aviation classic. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2014, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swa-plane-lands-at-wrong-airport/678653/52 "2014-01-18T23:53:15Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > An aviation classic. 🙂 Have you _ever_ seen a runway _so short?_ Never mind that. Have you ever seen one _so wide?_ [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swa-plane-lands-at-wrong-airport/678653.md?page=2)