A Boeing 737 aircraft carrying passengers from Orlando to Albany, New York, was mistakenly cleared to take off from a taxiway instead of the intended runway. The incident occurred at Orlando International Airport and was reported by air traffic control, who cancelled the takeoff clearance after realizing the mistake.
Taxiways are designed for planes to move between gates and runways but not for takeoffs or landings. In this case, Southwest Airlines Flight 3278, bound for Albany, started accelerating on a parallel taxiway instead of the intended runway. The air traffic controller promptly cancelled the clearance, and the pilots slammed the brakes to stop.
The crew mistook the surface for the nearby runway, which led to the near-miss incident. Fortunately, the aircraft stopped safely without any other planes being involved. However, Southwest later flew the passengers to Albany on a different plane as a precautionary measure.
This incident comes amid a series of recent aviation incidents, including near misses, crash landings, and accidents. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is investigating the incident along with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
Source: https://www.yahoo.com/news/air-traffic-controller-orlando-stops-070607287.html