By now, just about every pilot has heard about the ill-fated Atlas Air Flight 4241, in which the Boeing Dreamlifter (a modified 747 cargo aircraft), landed at the wrong airport while attempting to land at McConnell Air Force Base (KIAB) in Witchita, KS. The aircraft landed inadvertently at the Colonel James Jabara airport (KAAO) 7 miles to the north of McConnell AFB. To make matters worse, Jabara’s longest runway is only 6101 feet long, not normally long enough for the Dreamlifter, and the aircraft couldn’t maneuver on the narrow runway without help, so Boeing had to send a tug to move the aircraft.
The Dreamlifter was able to depart uneventfully the next day: Continue reading “Landing Dreamlifter at Jabara is Nightmare for Pilots”