A Southwest Airlines flight wound up at the wrong airport in Branson, Mo.
According to Southwest Spokesman Brad Hawkins, Flight 4013 from Midway in Chicago landed without any issue, but it landed at the wrong airport. It landed at M. Graham Clark-Taney County Airport, which has the airport code PLK, when it was supposed to land at Branson airport, BKG, which was not far away.
There were 124 passengers and five crew members on the Boeing 737-700.
"Our ground crew from the Branson airport has arrived at the airport to take care of our customers and their baggage,'' Hawkins said according to USA Today. "The landing was uneventful, and all customers and crew are safe.''
Hawkins said he didn't know the reason that the plane landed at the wrong airport. PLK mainly serves charter, corporate and general aviation flights
According to Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Tony, the FAA is investigating the incident.
The flight was scheduled to go from Chicago to Branson, and then on to Dallas. According to Jeff Bourk, executive director of the Branson Airport, the passengers had to be transported by bus to the right airport. Another Southwest flight was flown in for those who were continuing to Dallas.
"It didn't sound like a typical plane," said Jeff Engel, a teacher who lives near Taney airport said according to USA Today. He said the Southwest jet was much louder than the typical planes that land in the area.
"I wasn't concerned about any danger. My dog perked up and I thought it was unusual," Engel said. "Now it's kind of scary. You don't know what's going on."
Engel said he is used to hearing small planes take off and land at the airport. Taney is about eight miles away from Branson Airport which is much larger.
The airport is so small that it started off as a dirt runway in the 1960s. There are only two asphalt runways and the largest is 3,738 feet. The runway at Branson airport measures more than 7,000 feet.
Southwest already has plans to stop landing at Branson completely. It has made stops at Branson for 15 months, but the airline announced in December that it will cease all operations at the Branson Airport in June.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
