# Wrong surface or wrong airport - Type: NTSB defining event - NTSB code: 284 - CICTT category: Navigation Error - Defining event in: 40 cases - In the sequence of: 56 cases - Fatal cases: 0 - All cases: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/284/cases.md - Cases with it anywhere in the sequence: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/284/sequence.md - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/284 ## Cases per year (defining / in the sequence) - 2009: 4 / 5 - 2011: 1 / 1 - 2013: 1 / 1 - 2014: 1 / 1 - 2015: 1 / 1 - 2016: 1 / 1 - 2017: 2 / 3 - 2018: 0 / 2 - 2019: 1 / 1 - 2020: 3 / 7 - 2021: 3 / 3 - 2022: 3 / 5 - 2023: 1 / 2 - 2024: 7 / 9 - 2025: 7 / 9 - 2026: 4 / 5 ## Phase of flight - Landing: 19 cases - Takeoff: 6 cases - Approach: 5 cases - Landing-flare/touchdown: 3 cases - Takeoff-rejected takeoff: 2 cases - Taxi-from runway: 2 cases - Landing-landing roll: 1 cases - Maneuvering: 1 cases - Taxi-into takeoff position: 1 cases ## In the probable cause of these cases - [Identification/recognition](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041510) (Personnel issues): 18 cases - [Use of equip/system](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063015) (Personnel issues): 4 cases - [Expectation/assumption](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041525) (Personnel issues): 4 cases - [Lack of action](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041030) (Personnel issues): 3 cases - [Incorrect action selection](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041010) (Personnel issues): 3 cases - [Taxiway markings/signage](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03017040) (Environmental issues): 2 cases - [Localizer](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03012020) (Environmental issues): 2 cases - [Aircraft control](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040) (Personnel issues): 2 cases - [Decision making/judgment](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041520) (Personnel issues): 2 cases - [Incorrect action performance](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041015) (Personnel issues): 2 cases ## Aircraft models (registry) - [Piper PA-28-140](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-140): 2 cases - [Piper PA-38-112](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-38-112): 1 cases - [Piper PA-32-300](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-32-300): 1 cases - [Piper PA-28-235](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-235): 1 cases - [Piper PA-28-181](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-181): 1 cases - [Gates Learjet 55C](https://openairdocs.org/model/gates-learjet-55c): 1 cases - [Airbus Industrie A320-211](https://openairdocs.org/model/airbus-industrie-a320-211): 1 cases - [Embraer ERJ 170-100 LR](https://openairdocs.org/model/embraer-erj-170-100-lr): 1 cases - [Embraer EMB-145XR](https://openairdocs.org/model/embraer-emb-145xr): 1 cases - [Cirrus Design SR20](https://openairdocs.org/model/cirrus-design-sr20): 1 cases ## Newest cases - [NTSB ANC26LA087](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC26LA087), Aug 5, 2026: Cessna 172P (N62195), Inalåhan, GU, substantial damage, investigation ongoing - [NTSB DCA26WA283](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DCA26WA283), Jun 30, 2026: Boeing 737 (EP-SII), Tehran, Iran, incident - [NTSB ERA26LA102](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA26LA102), Jan 29, 2026: Cessna 172 (N969FG), New Castle, DE, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilots’ failure to properly identify the assigned runway during the landing approach, which resulted in the airplane landing on a closed, snow-covered runway. Contributing was the illumination of… - [NTSB ANC26LA011](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC26LA011), Jan 25, 2026: Cessna 150K (N6333G), Anchorage, AK, substantial damage. Probable cause: The flight instructor’s unintentional selection of the wrong, snow-covered landing surface, which resulted in a nose-over. - [NTSB OPS25LA054](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/OPS25LA054), Jul 16, 2025: Bombardier CL-600-2D24 (N833SK), Freeland, MI, incident, no damage, investigation ongoing - [NTSB DCA25WA236](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DCA25WA236), Jun 12, 2025: Boeing 737 (Not reported), Pusan City, South Korea, incident, no damage - [NTSB DCA25WA221](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DCA25WA221), May 27, 2025: Boeing 767 (4L-GMC), Xi An Shi, Comoros, incident - [NTSB DCA25WA220](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DCA25WA220), May 23, 2025: Boeing 737 (HP-1844CMP), Lima, Peru, incident - [NTSB DCA25WA175](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DCA25WA175), Mar 25, 2025: Boeing 737 (HL7561), Pusan, South Korea, incident, no damage - [NTSB DCA25LA163](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DCA25LA163), Mar 20, 2025: Boeing 737-8H4 (N8315C), Orlando, FL, incident, no damage. Probable cause: The captain’s failure to recognize that the airplane’s location did not agree with the assigned departure runway as required per the Southwest Airlines Airplane Operating Manual, and the captain’s… NTSB has coded findings and defining events since 2008; earlier cases used its older occurrence and cause codes and aren't counted. Findings: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings.md. Defining events: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events.md. Phases of flight: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases.md. Every investigation, filtered by finding, event, phase, state, year or model: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb.md (for example ?state=MI&fatal=1). NTSB's definitions: Accident and incident, 49 CFR 830.2 (https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/subtitle-B/chapter-VIII/part-830/subpart-A/section-830.2), CICTT occurrence categories (PDF) (https://www.ntsb.gov/safety/data/Documents/datafiles/OccurrenceCategoryDefinitions.pdf), CICTT phases of flight (PDF) (https://www.ntsb.gov/safety/data/Documents/datafiles/PhaseofFlightDefinitions.pdf), and NTSB coding manual, before 2008 (PDF) (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). NTSB publishes no definitions for its findings, only their names. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.