The FAA is investigating why a Delta flight coming in from Rio landed on a taxiway at the Atlanta airport, instead of the runway.The FAA's Kathleen Bergen tells WSB's Bob Coxe Delta Flight #60 from Rio had been cleared to land on runway 27R just after 6 Monday morning.
Instead, it landed on a parallel taxiway:
"Pilots are trained to land on the runway," Bergen says. "Taxiway landing is not appropriate, so we will be investigating it very thoroughly in determining why that happened.
"We did receive a report that there was a medical emergency on board the aircraft when the landing occurred," she says, "but the pilot still is required to follow all proper procedures and land on the runway."
There were no planes on the taxiway, and no one was hurt.
Bergen says the crew had reported a medical emergency on board, but that wouldn't excuse a taxiway landing.
Such landings are rare, but have happened.
"I can't think of any prior occasion in Atlanta," says Bergen. "But we have had patterns of taxiway landings at other airports in the southeast."
One southern airport, in particular, has had its share of taxiway landings.
"We've had a number of these cases occurring at Palm Beach International Airport," she says. "That is causing us to take a look at the airport layout."




Well it's not the main landing runway, but i'm still not sure how this could happen at Delta's main hub.

 

CAL had a 757 Land on a taxi way a couple years ago in EWR. Its rare but it happens. There are worse things that could happen i suppose

 

I don't comment on these situations, because the day I criticize it'll happen to me.

 

They obviously do not have aviation degrees from an accredited aviation university.

 

You never know when it's your turn.

 

That's what happens when you forget to ask for a "wind check."

Let that be a lesson for all . . .

 

Exactly. Nobody was hurt, so hopefully Delta will give us the FOQA data and ASAP info so all of us can learn from the event and hopefully not be the next ones to make the same mistake.

 

Guys, there is a lot that is going to come out about this. There are some extenuating circumstances here. Most will be floored with the details.
I suggest not commenting further.

 

Ditto!! Dont throw stones my friends....be careful!

 

Thank you. I support those DAL pilots 150%, and we don't know what happened on board. All I can say is I hope they are doing okay. Delta pilots are the best in the world, and for this to happen means something was way out of whack.