Southwest Flight Mistakenly Tries to Take Off From Taxiway

3 weeks ago 3

A Southwest Airlines flight nearly took off from a Florida taxiway this week before air traffic controllers stepped in.

The incident involved an Albany, New York-bound flight taking off around 9:30 a.m. on Thursday.

Southwest Airlines said in a statement that its crew "mistook the surface for the nearby runway." Fortunately, there were no collisions or injuries.

"An air traffic controller at Orlando International Airport canceled the takeoff clearance for Southwest Airlines Flight 3278...after the aircraft began its takeoff roll on a taxiway," the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said in a statement.

"The taxiway runs parallel to the runway. The flight was headed to Albany International Airport in New York. No other aircraft were involved. The FAA is investigating."

According to Southwest, all travelers were put on a new flight with a new crew.

The scary incident comes in the wake of a slew of runway scares in recent months.

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