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Southwest Pilots Who Landed Plane At Wrong Airport Placed On Suspension
 
By Eddy Metcalf
 

January 13, 2014 - On Sunday about 6 PM a Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-700, Flight 4013 carrying 124 passengers and a flight crew of 5 landed at the wrong airport.

Flight 4012 was to land at Branson Airport instead the 737 landed at M. Graham Clark Downtown Airport, Missouri, an airport used for takeoff and landing of smaller aircraft.

Upon landing the pilot announced to the passengers on the aircrafts public address system that he had landed at the wrong airport. The pilot stated to the passengers that they were about 9 miles from Graham Clark Downtown Airport.

 

No injuries were reported. However, this was a close call for Flight 4013 as the Boeing 737-700 needs about a 5,000 foot runway to land on. The runway that Flight 4013 landed on was 3,738 ft. It was reported that the pilot landed hard, used full brakes and burnt rubber could be smelled from inside the aircraft. The intended airport runway was 7,140 feet long.

Diane Coplan a passenger onboard the flight said "The flight came to a very abrupt end, almost like a crash. It just dropped to the ground and all of our bodies were accelerating forward very fast. You're holding on to the seat in front of you, not knowing what was happening."

Flight 4012 departed Midway Airport in Chicago for Dallas, Texas with a stop at Branson Airport. The passengers safely disembark from the aircraft were bussed to Branson Airport. Southwest Airlines brought another aircraft in and the passengers were then flown to Dallas.

 

 

On Monday Southwest Airlines grounded the two pilots. Southwest spokeswoman, Michelle Agnew said "We can confirm that the pilots have been removed from active flying pending the investigation. We continue to support the NTSB in their investigation to uncover the circumstances which led the pilot in command of Flight 4013 from Chicago Midway to land at the airport, several miles from the Branson Airport we serve." Back in November a Boeing 747-400 Dreamlifter, Flight 4241 departed New York's JFK airport and was to land at McConnell Air Force Base instead the 747 landed at Colonel James Jabara Airport (KAAO). (see NTSB report)

 
 
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