WASHINGTON: A Southwest Airways flight aborted takeoff at Orlando Airport on Thursday (Mar 20) after it mistakenly started to depart on a taxiway somewhat than the runway, the most recent in a sequence of latest incidents which have raised considerations about United States aviation security.
An air visitors controller on the Florida airport cancelled the takeoff clearance for Southwest Flight 3278 at round 9.30am (9.30pm, Singapore time) after the plane started its takeoff roll on a taxiway that runs parallel to the runway, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) mentioned.
Taxiways are paths utilized by pilots to maneuver the plane between the terminal and the runway.
Southwest mentioned the Boeing 737-800 stopped safely on the taxiway, returned to the gate and no accidents have been reported. The Nationwide Transportation Security Board and FAA each mentioned they’re investigating the incident.
Southwest mentioned it’s engaged with the FAA to grasp the circumstances of the occasion and accommodated clients on one other plane to their vacation spot.
The FAA in December accomplished a security assessment of Southwest after a sequence of incidents, together with a flight in July that flew at a really low altitude over Tampa Bay and one final April that got here inside about 122m of the ocean off Hawaii.
On Wednesday, the FAA mentioned it will set up enhanced security expertise at 74 airports by the tip of 2026 to assist detect runway incursions.
