# Incident 20171229024319I: Bombardier Inc DHC-8-402, Pullman, WA, December 29, 2017

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: December 29, 2017, 18:27 local time
- Place: Pullman, WA
- Airport: Pullman-Moscow Regional Airpor
- Damage: No damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown
- Operating rules: Air carrier (Part 121)
- Operator: QXEA
- Location: 46.7428° N, 117.1169° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=46.7428&lon=-117.1169&mi=10
- Aircraft: N412QX, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N412QX-2022-12-20) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Bombardier DHC-8-402 (registry code 1390042, https://openairdocs.org/model/bombardier-dhc-8-402) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Pratt & Whitney Canada PW150A (registry code 52167, https://openairdocs.org/engine/pratt-whitney-canada-pw150a) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BOMBARDIER INC DHC-8-402
- People aboard: 47
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Airline transport
- Pilot flight hours: 13,528 total, 5,997 in this make and model, 117 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB DCA18IA081](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DCA18IA081) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20171229024319I

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

ON FRIDAY DEC 29TH, AT APPROXIMATELY 1830 LOCAL TIME HORIZON AIR FLIGHT 2184 (SEA-PUW) MISTAKENLY LANDED A BOMBARDIER Q400 DHC8-402 (N412QX) ON TAXIWAY A AT KPUW (PULLMAN/MOSCOW, WA) INSTEAD OF THE INTENDED RUNWAY, RWY 6.

THE FLIGHT WAS CLEARED ON THE RNAV M RWY 6 INSTRUMENT APPROACH PROCEDURE AT THE PULLMAN ? MOSCOW REGIONAL AIRPORT.  THE FLIGHT CREW REPORTS ACQUIRING THE AIRPORT IN SIGHT APPROXIMATELY 3SM OUT. THE FLIGHT CREW REPORTS THE AIRPORT LIGHTS WERE DIM.

THE PULLMAN AIRPORT IS AN UNCONTROLLED AIRPORT.  HOIRZON AIR UTILIZES RADIO REMOTE COMMUNICATION FOR ARRIVING AND DEPARTING AIRCRAFT.

AS THE AIRCRAFT WAS TOUCHING DOWN, THE FIRST OFFICER VERBALIZED, THEY WERE ON THE TAXIWAY. THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN NORMALLY ON AN APPROXIMATELY 6,700 FOOT BY 60 FOOT PAVED TAXIWAY, WHICH IS PARALLEL TO RUNWAY 6.  THE CLOSE PROXIMITY OF TAXIWAY A TO RUNWAY 6 IS NON-STANDARD.

AFTER TOUCHDOWN THE FLIGHT CREW IDENTIFIED THE RUNWAY LIGHTS WERE NOT ILLUMINATED. THE PULLMAN AIRPORT ISSUED A NOTAM FOR INOPERATIVE RUNWAY LIGHTS. RUNWAY 6 IS LOCATED IN A FLOOD PLAIN.  AIRPORT OPERATIONS FOUND A FLOODED JUNCTION BOX FOR THE RUNWAY LIGHTS CAUSED THE FAILURE TO ILLUMINATE.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB DCA18IA081](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DCA18IA081), Dec 30, 2017: Bombardier DHC 8 402 (N412QX), Pullman, WA, incident, no damage. Probable cause: the flight crew's misidentification of the taxiway as the landing runway due to the failure of the runway lighting that caused only the taxiway lights to be illuminated.

## Other reports on N412QX (1)

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

- [Accident 20171119019429A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20171119019429A), Nov 19, 2017: Bombardier Inc DHC-8-402 (N412QX), Sacramento, CA, Substantial damage. Accidental bird strike resulting in substantial damage to the right side of the nose including damage to primary structure resulting in major repairs.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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