The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is investigating after a Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-800 nearly departed from a taxiway at Orlando International Airport (MCO) on Thursday.
The incident occurred amid a busy morning at the airport, as Spring Break peak travel is in full swing.
Officials said the taxiway runs parallel to the runway, and the crew reportedly "mistook the surface." The mishap resulted in an air traffic controller canceling the flight's takeoff clearance after it began its roll down the taxiway.
"Stopped safely"
According to NBC News, the flight involved was WN3278, bound for Albany International Airport (ALB). Flightradar24 shows the aircraft operating the flight was registered as N8315C, and it is believed that it departed from its gate at Airside 2 on schedule around 09:25.
Minutes later, tracking data and the FAA's airport diagram indicate the aircraft was taxiing perpendicular to Runway 17R on taxiway H2.
Rather than continuing straight to reach the runway, the crew turned right onto Taxiway H, which runs parallel to the runway, and reportedly received clearance for takeoff from ATC.
By 09:30, data shows the aircraft beginning to accelerate down the taxiway, reaching a peak speed of 69 knots. However, it was brief, as it exited the taxiway less than a minute later.
According to a spokesperson from Southwest, the plane came to a halt.
"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 the 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."
Following the incident, the plane remained on the tarmac for several minutes. An FAA spokesperson confirmed that an air traffic controller halted the crew's takeoff.
"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," they explained. "No other aircraft were involved. The FAA is investigating."
More than three-hour delay
After around 40 minutes, the aircraft had made it back to the gate and deplaned. Passengers had to wait a few hours before Southwest could dispatch another aircraft and crew to continue the flight.
WN3278's departure was relocated to gate 125, according to FlightAware, and it pushed back just after 13:00. Southwest deployed a 737 MAX 8 – N8802Q – to operate the flight.
By 13:19, the aircraft was airborne and headed to Albany. It reached an initial cruising altitude of 37,000 feet about 25 minutes after takeoff.
The aircraft then climbed to 38,000 feet about an hour into the flight. By 15:00, the plane was flying over New Jersey and began its descent.
N8802Q touched down at ALB at 15:27 and arrived at gate C2 15:31 – nearly three and a half hours past its scheduled arrival time of 12:10.
N8315C remained on the ground in Orlando before being deployed to operate WN3117 to Gerald R. Ford International Airport (GRR) in Grand Rapids. The aircraft departed from the gate without incident at 13:23 and took off at 13:39.
What leads to confusion?
Pilot confusion between runways and taxiways is a complex issue influenced by several factors, according to aviationfile.com. Although mistakes are somewhat rare, they can have severe consequences.
Larger airports, depending on their layout, often have taxiways and runways that lie parallel to each other. It makes it easier for pilots to identify them, especially in low visibility conditions or if the taxiway is wider than usual.
In addition, human factors such as pilot fatigue, a strenuous workload, and stress can lead to reduced situational awareness.
Other contributing factors to runway and taxiway confusion can be improperly maintained airport lighting and signage for nighttime operations.
