Southwest Airlines Flight 3278 took off from Orlando International Airport bound for Albany, New York, but instead of using the intended runway, the plane started to accelerate on a parallel taxiway. The aircraft’s pilots mistakenly thought the surface was the nearby runway and began taking off, prompting air traffic controllers to cancel clearance.
The plane reached speeds of approximately 80 mph before the pilots slammed on the brakes to stop. Thankfully, no other aircraft were involved in the incident, and the passengers arrived safely at their destination on a different flight.
This incident comes as part of a series of recent aviation incidents, including near misses, crash landings, and accidents such as the fatal collision of an American Airlines plane and a US Army helicopter in Washington, DC.
Source: https://edition.cnn.com/2025/03/21/travel/air-traffic-control-stops-pilots-taxiway/index.html