An air traffic controller at Orlando International Airport stopped the pilots of a Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 from mistakenly taking off on a taxiway instead of the designated runway on Thursday, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The FAA announced it is investigating the incident.
Southwest Airlines Flight 3278 was cleared to take off on a runway en route to Albany, New York. However, the aircraft began accelerating on a parallel taxiway, prompting the air traffic controller to cancel the takeoff clearance. Taxiways are used for planes to travel between gates and runways but are not intended for takeoffs or landings.
Flight data tracker FlightRadar24 reported the aircraft’s top speed reached 70 knots (approximately 80 mph), significantly higher than the typical 35 mph speed on taxiways. A Boeing 737 requires about 150 mph for takeoff.
The Southwest Airlines crew acknowledged mistaking the taxiway for the nearby runway. The airline is cooperating with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and FAA to understand the circumstances of the event. The 737 stopped safely, and no other aircraft were involved. Southwest later flew the passengers to Albany on a different plane.
This incident follows a series of aviation events in recent weeks, including near misses, crash landings, and accidents. On February 6, a Bering Air regional flight crashed in Alaska, killing all 10 people onboard due to being overweight before takeoff. On February 17, a Delta Air Lines regional jet flipped over upon landing at Toronto Pearson International Airport, leaving passengers hanging but all 80 onboard surviving. On February 25, a private jet crossed in front of a Southwest Airlines flight during landing at Chicago Midway Airport, with the two planes coming within 200 feet of each other.
— news from CNN