What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On Saturday, December 19, 2015, at 0831 pacific standard time, Alaska
Airlines flight 27, a Boeing 737-990ER, was cleared to land on runway 16
Center (16C) at the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, seatac, WA, but
Mistakenly landed on taxiway tango, which parallels the runway.
The flight was in contact with Seattle terminal radar air traffic control
And was cleared for the instrument landing system (ILS) approach to runway 16 right (16R). At 5 nautical miles from the airport in visual
Meteorological conditions, the Seattle air traffic control tower (ATCT)
Offered flight 27 a side step to the parallel 16C. The captain, who was the
Pilot flying, agreed to this routine maneuver, and manually flew the
Aircraft to the left to align with 16C. The first officer acknowledged the
Clearance for a visual approach and landing on 16C, and turned his
Attention to re-tuning the ILS receiver radios for the runway change.
As the aircraft was touching down, both crewmembers realized they were not on RWY16C. The aircraft touched down normally on the 9,400 foot by
180 Foot paved taxiway, tango, which is parallel to and between 16C and 16R.
As the FAA filed it
ON SATURDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2015, AT 0831 PACIFIC STANDARD TIME, ALASKA
AIRLINES FLIGHT 27, A BOEING 737-990ER, WAS CLEARED TO LAND ON RUNWAY 16
CENTER (16C) AT THE SEATTLE-TACOMA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, SEATAC, WA, BUT
MISTAKENLY LANDED ON TAXIWAY TANGO, WHICH PARALLELS THE RUNWAY.
THE FLIGHT WAS IN CONTACT WITH SEATTLE TERMINAL RADAR AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL
AND WAS CLEARED FOR THE INSTRUMENT LANDING SYSTEM (ILS) APPROACH TO RUNWAY 16 RIGHT (16R). AT 5 NAUTICAL MILES FROM THE AIRPORT IN VISUAL
METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS, THE SEATTLE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL TOWER (ATCT)
OFFERED FLIGHT 27 A SIDE STEP TO THE PARALLEL 16C. THE CAPTAIN, WHO WAS THE
PILOT FLYING, AGREED TO THIS ROUTINE MANEUVER, AND MANUALLY FLEW THE
AIRCRAFT TO THE LEFT TO ALIGN WITH 16C. THE FIRST OFFICER ACKNOWLEDGED THE
CLEARANCE FOR A VISUAL APPROACH AND LANDING ON 16C, AND TURNED HIS
ATTENTION TO RE-TUNING THE ILS RECEIVER RADIOS FOR THE RUNWAY CHANGE.
AS THE AIRCRAFT WAS TOUCHING DOWN, BOTH CREWMEMBERS REALIZED THEY WERE NOT ON RWY16C. THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN NORMALLY ON THE 9,400 FOOT BY
180 FOOT PAVED TAXIWAY, TANGO, WHICH IS PARALLEL TO AND BETWEEN 16C AND 16R.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.