Fighter Sweep
  • Home
  • Military Aviation
  • Air Force
  • Navy
  • Spec Ops
  • Expert Analysis
  • Careers
  • Photos
Home Previous Post Next Post
Follow @fightersweep

Delta Flight Mistakenly Lands at Bomber Air Base

July 11, 2016
FighterSweep Staff 4 Comments FAA, News

A Delta flight mistakenly landed at Ellsworth air force base in South Dakota instead of Rapid City Regional located 10 miles way.

Every pilot probably has a story like this–or at least a really close call. Landing at the wrong airport is certainly not a good thing, but not the worst event in the world. However, it is still pretty embarrassing–especially when there are two pilots in the jet. It looks like Delta will have to bring back the “tune, identify, and monitor” class at their ground school.

Delta Flight 2845 left Minneapolis for Rapid City Regional Airport on Thursday evening with 130 people aboard. Instead they found themselves at the home of the 28th Bomb Wing – one of only two B-1B bases in the world. The 28th BW is aligned with Eighth Air Force under Air Force Global Strike Command.

The flight landed at Ellsworth around 7:45 pm local. The two runways are located 5 miles from each other and are oriented in roughly the same direction. However, there are striking differences between the two airports.

 

B-1Bs from the 28th Bomb Wing at Ellsworth AFB, South Dakota, prior to launch for a Green Flag-West mission.

B-1Bs from the 28th Bomb Wing at Ellsworth AFB, South Dakota, prior to launch for a Green Flag-West mission.

Ellsworth is 13,500 feet long and 300 feet wide and marked at the threshold with a large “13” number, while the runway at Rapid City Regional Airport is only 8,701 feet long and only 150 feet wide and marked with a large “14”.

The flight then took off and eventually landed nearly three hours later at 11:31 p.m. local time. In a statement released by the airline Delta said: “Delta has contacted the customers of this flight and offered a gesture of apology for the inconvenience.”

What? No free cocktails?

Both the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the incident.

You can read the full story here

Top photo credit: travelpulse.com

 

Related Posts

  • From The Cockpit: Lodi Skydiving Mishap!From The Cockpit: Lodi Skydiving Mishap!
  • BREAKING: Sight-Seeing Helicopter CrashesBREAKING: Sight-Seeing Helicopter Crashes
  • Operation Odyssey Dawn: Five Years LaterOperation Odyssey Dawn: Five Years Later
  • A Veteran With A Nose For Art!A Veteran With A Nose For Art!
  • Burner Friday: Freedom’s Thunder!Burner Friday: Freedom’s Thunder!

Find Us on Facebook

FighterSweep.com

Sign Up
for the Newsletter

What’s Hot

  • Acrobatic Couple Criticized for Stunt Beneath Landing Airliner at Maho Beach, Saint Martin
    July 11, 2018

    Acrobatic Couple Criticized for Stunt Under Landing Airliner at Maho Beach, Saint Martin

  • President Joe Biden awards medal of honor to four U.S. Army soldiers for heroism in Vietnam War. Screenshot taken from CBS News
    August 16, 2022

    4 Vietnam War Veterans Get Medal of Honor from Biden

  • blue-angels-reporter-blacks-out-passes-out
    December 5, 2017

    Watch: News Reporter Blacks Out on Ride with US Navy Blue Angels

Follow Us

Facebook Twitter Twitter

Recent Comments

  • Lars Dirch Sørensen This didn't age well.
  • Speir Mor Media Amazing history and pride in the old B-52! And that’s one hell of a range. [...]
  • disqus_lkVjMrnsGt As an 8th grader in 1960 I first became acquainted with the 1952 Washington [...]
  • SWS Irrational fears and misinformation is not a reason to get a waiver from a [...]

© Copyright 2022 SOFREP Media Group. All Rights Reserved.

  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Advertisers
 

Loading Comments...