HikeArizona.COM

Pilot lands OK after confusing road with airport

GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK, Ariz. -- Authorities said a pilot landed safely on a highway near the Grand Canyon after mistaking the roadway for part of a nearby airport.

Department of Public Safety officials said the small plane landed Sunday on Highway 64 near Grand Canyon Airport.

KNXV-TV reported that the plane blocked both lanes of traffic until crews were able to tow it off the highway and take it to the airport.

Officials told the station that the pilot thought the highway was part of the airport and was confused about where to land.

There were no injuries or damage reported.




Anyone want to wager it was California pilot?

I can see how it could be confusing...

paulhubbard wrote:I can see how it could be confusing...

GCA.JPG

Ha-Ha.... yeah at first I thought the pilot may have confused the two in the dark - but it was 2:30PM.
Maybe he/she was using mapquest instead of VOR...? ;)

I'd like to hear the explanation to the FAA.

Did you say runway 64 right?............. Stupid Flyer Award!

First I heard that the highway was closed because a bus and car had crashed - glad that rumour was wrong.
Brought us some extra business for awhile because people couldn't leave the park!

People make mistakes all the time when driving. This guy is no different flying. However usually the mistakes we all make driving rarely make the 6 o'clock news. Cut the guy a break. He likely would have been on a visual approach. Maybe he was un familiar with the airport maybe given the time of day he had the sun in his eyes. Who knows. Did he make a mistake yes. Did he kill himself or someone else no he was lucky. Have you ever rolled through or missed a stop light or stop sign and not cause an accident and said wow I was lucky. So, cut the guy a break he is having the worst day of his flying life right now. He is just lucky to be red faced, facing potential action from the FAA and not dead.

Drivers make mistakes, but pilots can't afford to make mistakes. Having flown all around northern Arizona in planes from Cessna 152s to King Aires, and having made the approach into GC Airport countless times, I find it hard to believe that someone could even remotely think the highway was part of the airport there. If they don't study the area they're flying into and know how and where to navigate to find the landing strip, this person has no business piloting an aircraft I have to wonder if he's able to drive a car with any common sense. I hope the FAA yanks his license.

paulhubbard wrote:Drivers make mistakes, but pilots can't afford to make mistakes. Having flown all around northern Arizona in planes from Cessna 152s to King Aires, and having made the approach into GC Airport countless times, I find it hard to believe that someone could even remotely think the highway was part of the airport there. If they don't study the area they're flying into and know how and where to navigate to find the landing strip, this person has no business piloting an aircraft I have to wonder if he's able to drive a car with any common sense. I hope the FAA yanks his license.

Well if you ever make a mistake while you are driving your car I hope you would be willing to surrender your license. When you are driving a car you are putting more people at risk then this guy is in an airplane that seats 6. Maybe we should take the license away from a person who runs a stop sign or speeds 1 error is to much when driving a car. This guy is going to be facing a 709 ride if he is lucky which is not going to be fun.

I hope you were perfect in everything you did flying King Aires and Cessna 152s.

I assure you that in all the King Air's and Cessna 152's I flew all over the country I was not perfect but fortunately any errors I made did not result in an incident that got me a news headline.