Boeing Dreamlifter reaches destination after mistaken landing
Almasalla Arab Travel Portal News – A Boeing Dreamlifter cargo aircraft operated by Atlas Air safely reached its eventual destination yesterday afternoon after having mistakenly landed at the wrong airport—which was unequipped to handle the modified 747-400 freighter—Wednesday night.
The Dreamlifter is an extra-large 747-400F that is 235 feet, 2 inches (71.68 meters) long with a wingspan of 211.5 feet (64.44 meters). It ferries 787 parts to/from manufacturing facilities operated by Boeing and 787 suppliers. Atlas Air, a subsidiary of Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings, in 2010 signed a nine-year contract to operate the four Dreamlifters for Boeing, which owns the aircraft.
A Dreamlifter bound from New York JFK for McConnell Air Force Base in Wichita, Kansas, “landed inadvertently but safely [Wednesday] evening at nearby Colonel James Jabara Airport instead,” Boeing said in an emailed statement. “There were no injuries or damage to the airplane.”
The two airports are about nine miles apart. The aircraft was initially stranded at Jabara Airport, which has one, 6,101 foot long runway, more than 3,000 feet shorter than is recommended for a Dreamlifter takeoff
After Boeing made careful calculations that the aircraft could take off safely Thursday, a replacement crew flew the Dreamlifter from Jabara Airport to McConnell Air Force base—about a 20-minute journey—where it was slated to unload its cargo, Boeing said.
Boeing added that it is “working with Atlas Air to determine the circumstances” of the mistaken landing.
