EasyJet flight U2-1847 inadvertently landed on a closed runway at Pisa International Airport, Pisa, Italy, on December 30.
The Airbus A319-100, flying from Manchester, England, to Pisa, Italy, was about to land on an active runway but accidentally touched down on closed runway.
The plane landed safely.
All passengers onboard remained safe.
On December 18, Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 767-383ER #ET-AQW en route from Addis Ababa to Zanzibar-Kisauni Airport diverted to Arusha Airport. On landing on the too short runway, the plane’s wheels departed the pavement and became mired in soft ground.
No one was injured in the landing.
There is a rumor that the pilots diverted from the Zanzibar airport because they were unable to land there because there was a vehicle on the runway with a flat tire. The plane was nearly out of fuel and the best/closest option was Arusha. Passengers waited aboard as air stairs were driven from Kilimanjaro airport to Arusha—time consuming, but stairs eliminate the likelihood of injury by emergency evacuation on slides.
The diversion to Arusha is under inquiry; they apparently landed without clearance and once they were down, asked where they were. It is unknown if, even under the most favorable conditions (i.e., empty with experts at the helm), the plane can take from the short runway. It remains to be seen how the crew will fare for this decision, but some credit should be given for landing a 767 safely onto a 4500′ runway with zero casualties. Some armchair pilots are guessing that the pilots mistook Arusha for Kilimanjaro airport, mistaking Mount Meru for Kilimanjaro.
What: Air Force C-17 Globemaster III cargo jet en route from SW Asia to MacDill Air Force Base
Where: Peter O. Knight Airport, Davis Island
When: July 20, 2012
Who: 23 passengers and 19 crew
Why: The Globemaster III cargo jet landed on a runway that is 3,580 feet long and 100 feet wide rather than the 11,421 feet long and 151 feet wide runway at MacDill. The nose stopped six to 10 feet from the end of the runway. It took off again later with no problem.
Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact photographer Kevin Gutt
What: Germania Airbus A319-100 en route from Cochstedt to Las Palmas
Where: Las Palmas
When: Jan 14th 2012
Why: After being cleared to land on runway 21R, the pilot touched down on runway 21 L. There was no other traffic on the runway at the time.
The pilot apologized and the tower controller chided as one might expect.
The incident is under investigation.
