Description

On 6 January 2007, a Boeing B737-900 operated by Korean Airlines landed at Akita Airport on a taxiway parallel to the in-use runway after a daylight non-precision approach (NPA) using a head-up display (HUD). The crew realised their error during the landing roll.

Synopsis

The Investigation was begun by the Aircraft and Railway Accidents Investigation Commission which was replaced by the Japan Transport Safety Board (JTSB) during the course of the Investigation. The following extract is from the official Report (AI2008-01) into the Serious Incident investigation published by the Japan Transport Safety Board (JTSB):

"A Boeing 737-900, registered HL7724, which was operated by Korean Air Lines Co., Ltd. as scheduled flight 769, took off from Incheon International Airport (Seoul, the Republic of Korea) on January 6, 2007 (Saturday), and made an approach to Runway 10 of Akita Airport (Akita Japan), its destination, but landed on a parallel taxiway located south side of Runway 10 at about 12:16.

Of the total of 133 persons on board, consisting of the captain, the first officer, seven other crewmembers and 124 passengers, no one was injured, and there was no damage to the aircraft.

The Investigation

The Report provides the following analysis of the misidentification of the runway: