Photo: DANIEL SLIM / AFP / Getty Images
A Southwest Airlines flight nearly took off from a taxiway at Orlando International Airport before an air traffic controller intervened. The incident involved Flight 3278, which was scheduled to depart for Albany, New York, at 9:30 a.m. on Thursday (March 20) morning. Southwest Airlines reported that the crew "mistook the surface for the nearby runway," but fortunately, no injuries were reported.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the takeoff clearance was canceled after the aircraft began its takeoff roll on the taxiway, which runs parallel to the runway. Taxiways are typically used for planes to move between gates, hangars, and runways, not for takeoffs. All passengers were rebooked on another flight to Albany.
Southwest Airlines emphasized that "nothing is more important than the safety of our customers and employees."
The FAA is currently investigating the incident.
Recent aviation incidents, including a deadly collision between a passenger jet and an Army helicopter and a Delta Air Lines plane flipping over while landing, have heightened public concern about air travel safety despite assurances from federal officials that it remains as safe as ever. There have also been several near misses, as planes were forced to abort landing to avoid colliding with another aircraft.