That is scary!

FAA investigates botched landing at Newark

NEWARK, New Jersey (AP) -- Federal authorities are investigating how a jetliner carrying more than 160 people landed on a taxiway instead of an adjacent runway at Newark's Liberty Airport.

No one was injured when the Continental flight from Orlando, Florida, landed in the wrong place Saturday night. Taxiways often have planes, vehicles or personnel on them.

The Boeing 757-200 should have landed on the shortest of the airport's three runways, but it instead touched down on a taxiway parallel to the runway, said Jim Peters, a spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration.

The FAA is "investigating it as a [possible] pilot deviation" from proper safety procedures, Peters said. The FAA had not interviewed the pilot and co-pilot as of Monday, but the airline said they have been grounded.

Russ Halleran, president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association local at the airport, said runways and taxiways use different color lights.

"It could have been ugly, God forbid," Halleran said in Tuesday's Star-Ledger of Newark. "Pretty lucky. Overall, that's how we have to look at it."

Newark Liberty International Airport is one three major airports serving the New York City area.

Kevin Kossi

New York

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