Tales from the cockpit: Wrong airport

[trof]

This is from my days flying the Republic RF-84/F "Thunderflash" in the Alabama ANG back in the 60s.
We do love to give 'Mighty Macho' names to our military aircraft.
This is the bird.


It was the photo reconnaissance version of the F-84.
Those aren't bombs, they're two 450 gallon external fuel tanks.
A real drag, literally.
The black squares you see are windows where the cameras are mounted.
"We killum with fillum."
;-)

Periodically, U.S. air force bases require current aerial photos of their runway/taxiway layout. My mission on that Saturday morning many years ago was to take off from Birmingham, fly to Wright-Patterson AFB in Dayton, Ohio, and take several photos. I had specific instructions as to the various altitudes and headings I should use to get the coverage they wanted.

I had a date that evening, so I wanted to make this as quick a trip as possible. Ordinarily I would have flown directly to Wright-Pat, landed and refueled, taken the photos, landed and refueled again, and then returned to Birmingham.

By VERY careful flight planning I concluded I would j-u-s-t...b-a-r-e-l-y have enough fuel to make the flight, take the photos (without landing), THEN land, refuel, and scoot on back home in plenty of time for my hot date.
;-)

All went well until air traffic control couldn't clear me for my first pass immediately. Conflicting traffic. So I had to fly a holding pattern for a bit. I watched the fuel gauge unwind.
:-(

By the time I made all the passes and got all the required shots I was SERIOUSLY low on fuel. Again, because of air traffic constraints, my last pass had taken me far out of sight of the air force base.

The amber 'FUEL WARNING' light was flashing.
I informed ATC that I was 'minimum fuel', and requested expedited handling. They immediately gave me a heading for Wright-Pat.

Shortly, the runways hove into view.
Now the red 'EMERGENCY FUEL' light was blinking.
Fumes.
Whew.

By now I was on the Wright-pat tower frequency.
"Wright-Pat tower, Photo One has runway in sight."

"Roger, Photo One, cleared to land. We do not have you in sight."
They can't see me? I'm right HERE!
And then, on the roof of a hangar, in BIG white letters I saw 'DAYTON MUNICIPAL AIRPORT'.
Shit! Wrong airport.

"Wright-Pat tower, this is Photo One. I'm at Dayton Municipal and emergency fuel. Need immediate vector to Wright-Pat."
"Roger Photo One, continue present heading. You'll see us in a minute. Are you declaring an emergency?"
"Uh...Roger."

Several seconds later (it seemed like MANY minutes) I saw the runways at Wright-Pat.
"Tower, Photo One has runway in sight."
"Roger, Photo One, cleared to land.

I have NEVER been so glad to get an aircraft on the ground, before or since.
And as I turned off the runway onto the taxiway the engine...flamed...out.
:eyes:
I parked the brakes and called for a tug to bring me in.
It was VERY embarrassing for a hot rock fighter pilot. And since I had, in effect, declared an actual emergency there was a LOT of back-and-forth explanation and paperwork with the FAA and the Air Force.

Live and learn.
;-)

[PfcHammer]

1. Interesting tale. Did you get any bootie?

:rofl:

[trof]

3. Don't remember, but probably.

:evilgrin:

[Blue_Tires]

26. so you got some action and have a great story to tell

win-win in my book!

[Gormy Cuss]

2. Eh, all those runways look alike.

:rofl:

[trof]

5. In this case they were damn near identical.

Runways are numbered by the closest 10 degrees to their compass heading.
The last zero is dropped.
Thus runway 25 is on a compass heading of 250.

If you're sitting on the end of runway 05, your compass should read pretty damn close to zero-five-zero degrees.
If you were on the opposite end of the runway, the compass should read 230 degrees.
If you understand how a compass works, one end of the runway is 180 degrees away from the opposite end.
Have I confused you enough?
;-)

Dayton's runway was 06/240.
Wright-Pat's was 05/230.
VERY close.
Does that make sense to you?
:shrug:

[GOPisEvil]

20. I just learned something today.

That did make sense.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

4. My dear trof!

Wow, what a story!

I'm loving it along with cringing!

I'll bet the paperwork went on forevah!

Glad you made it back OK...

;)

[trof]

10. Thanks. Happily I 'made it back OK' every time. So far.

I was sweating bullets that time.
It was definitely a life lesson.
Don't stretch things too far.
Leave yourself some wiggle room.

[Suich]

6. Thanks, trof!

Funny now, but probably not funny then, I would guess!

:)

[progressoid]

7. Bet it would have been fun landing at the Dayton Airport though!

[trof]

11. It would have been a big surprise to the tower.

Basically, I made a low pass over their airport with NO warning or clearance.
And I wasn't talking to ANY of the controllers.
I heard about that, too.
They were PISSED, and rightly so.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

16. Reminds me of an incident at the airport where I used to work as a flight instructor...

A guy in a C-172 calls the tower at St. Paul Downtown Airport (STP), which only 6 miles east of a very large airport (MSP). The guy says he's 5 miles out for Runway 30. Tower can't see him (this is before they had D-BRITE radar). Guy gets closer, reports on 3-mile final.

Tower: "Cessna XXXX, flash your landing light."
Cessna: "Roger."
Tower: "Cessna XXXX, say your position."
Cessna: "One mile final, runway 30."
Tower: "Cessna xxxx, what do you see painted on the runway?"
Cessna: "Uhhhhh... Two-nine R..."
Tower: "Cessna xxxx, contact Minneapolis Tower, 126.7, good day."

D'oh.

Over at MSP, a large airliner landing from the opposite direction had to go around.

The guy in the Cessna had a conversation with a representative of the FAA after landing.

[Parche]

8. Hey, Delta/Western did it a few times too

:woohoo: :hi:

[trof]

12. Yeah, it happens. The worst I heard about was a Delta flight.

Landed at Brussels when they thought they were landing at Schipol in Amsterdam.
Never did hear the whole story on that one.

[krispos42]

9. Remindes me of that scene in "Hot Shots!"

:rofl:

[trof]

13. Love that movie.

Every flying cliche' if the funniest way.

[A HERETIC I AM]

22. You mean this one?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7e45NNARw40&feature=PlayList&p=A94ED49125AD3886&index=13


"Touchin' down"


{{{{WHAM!}}}}

[krispos42]

23. More like scene 4...

From about 6:30 on...

:rofl:

[mainegreen]

14. Lucky Bastard.

So close to failure, there.

[trof]

15. VERY

[MajorChode]

17. I actually landed at the wrong airport once

A buddy and I were "runway hopping". We were trying to see how many different new airports we could get in our logbooks in one day. I had been following him, but managed to get ahead and was trying to spot a very small airport called Airpark East (1F7). Instead I spotted a small private field called "Bishop" first and landed there. I didn't realize it until I called my buddy on the radio to find out where he was and he said he found the airport, but didn't find me (even though I was still on the ground).

Later on he said I was lucky to have landed at the wrong airport because 1F7 was in very rough shape.

[bif]

29. Bishop near Pontiac, Michigan?

Just curious.

[Skittles]

18. LOL.................trof

aw fuck, nice to read this actually - you USAF top guns may seem exotic to the masses but I as a teenaged airgal I dealt with those arrogant prick pilots in the CBPO day in and out :D

[trof]

24. I was more of a mid-level gun.

;-)

[Skittles]

28. I'm seeing an airline pilot now who I dated back in 1978

I dumped him back then when he went off to F4 training (hey I was 20 and didn't want to wait). I told him recently, you know, I can always pick out those airline pilots - they're like anchormen, with an air of polish and arrogance :rofl:

P.S. I had to deal with that paperwork too - :mad:

[trof]

30. Once airline pilots mature, they ain't so bad.

It's the young'uns that are insufferable.
;-)

[GOPisEvil]

19. Glad you weren't on a practice bomb run.

The folks at Dayton Municipal would have been REALLY pissed. :D

[krispos42]

21. He's probably have dropped his external fuel tanks instead

"Sir, I nailed Gate 17 with a pair of 400-gallon external fuel tanks!" :woohoo:


:-)

[trof]

25. I always wanted to punch off the tanks. Just once.

[JitterbugPerfume]

27. wrong way TROF!

:hi: :rofl:

[trof]

31. 'At's me!

You wouldn't believe the crap I had to take from my squadron mates once the word got out.
Once in a great while I'll see one and they invariably say "Remember the time you almost landed at Dayton Municipal?"
I'll NEVER live that down.