A Russian commercial airplane narrowly avoided disaster this afternoon after missing the landing strip at Ben Gurion International Airport.
According to Channel 10, the passenger jet arrived at the airport from the South, and was preparing to descend when the air traffic controllers realized the pilot was planning to land on the wrong landing strip and instructed him to turn back.
Several minutes later, the control tower noted that again the airplane had come from the wrong angle, and alerted the pilot about his error to avoid the jet crashing into Route 1, the highway between Tel Aviv and Yerushalayim.
On the third try, the jet finally landed on its designated landing strip at the Ben Gurion Airport.
The Civil Aviation Authority opened an investigation into the incident.
{JPost/Yair Alpert-Matzav.com Israel}
Hello?? To much Vodka??
I understand that there is not much to write about today and twisting the facts provides better headlines, however why not report accurately. According to the Israeli press and audio of the communication between the tower and pilot, it is clear that the pilot approached the wrong active runway (departures). Not the highway.
The pilot mixed up Chanuka with Purim!