07-21-2012, 01:08 PM
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A C-17 cargo plane rose some eyebrows this afternoon when it landed at Peter O. Knight airport on Davis Island.
The plane was destined for MacDill Air Force Base, but according to Tampa International Airport officials, the pilot inadvertently landed at the general aviation airport on Davis Island at 1:20 p.m.
Peter O. Knight Airport is temporarily closed as TIA officials work with MacDill officials to move the plane. The Air Force is working to reposition the plane as
soon as possible.
According to military sources, the plane poses no danger to Tampa residents, but it does require a longer runway than the 3,580 foot runway at Peter O. Knight when fully loaded. It will have to be emptied in order for a takeoff to be possible.
According to the Tampa Tribune, the plane stopped just ten feet short of the end of the runway. It was carrying 23 passengers and 19 crew members on a flight from Southwest Asia.
Flights into MacDill are generally handled by the TIA tower and then handed over to MacDill Airforce Base towers when a plane is about ten miles away. How the pilot became confused and ended up landing just minutes from downtown is unclear as Peter O. Knight does not have a tower and uses radio communication only to guide general aviation pilots to a safe landing.
There was no damage to the plane or Peter O. Knight airport.
Video:
.
A C-17 cargo plane rose some eyebrows this afternoon when it landed at Peter O. Knight airport on Davis Island.
The plane was destined for MacDill Air Force Base, but according to Tampa International Airport officials, the pilot inadvertently landed at the general aviation airport on Davis Island at 1:20 p.m.
Peter O. Knight Airport is temporarily closed as TIA officials work with MacDill officials to move the plane. The Air Force is working to reposition the plane as
soon as possible.
According to military sources, the plane poses no danger to Tampa residents, but it does require a longer runway than the 3,580 foot runway at Peter O. Knight when fully loaded. It will have to be emptied in order for a takeoff to be possible.
According to the Tampa Tribune, the plane stopped just ten feet short of the end of the runway. It was carrying 23 passengers and 19 crew members on a flight from Southwest Asia.
Flights into MacDill are generally handled by the TIA tower and then handed over to MacDill Airforce Base towers when a plane is about ten miles away. How the pilot became confused and ended up landing just minutes from downtown is unclear as Peter O. Knight does not have a tower and uses radio communication only to guide general aviation pilots to a safe landing.
There was no damage to the plane or Peter O. Knight airport.
Jack -