FRANKFURT — A potentially hazardous incident was narrowly avoided at Frankfurt Airport on Tuesday, October 20, after an Airbus A321-251NX operated by Turkish carrier Pegasus Airlines lined up and attempted to take off in the wrong direction. Vigilant air traffic controllers quickly spotted the mistake and alerted the crew, bringing the aircraft safely to a halt.
The aircraft (registration TC-RDO), operating flight PC996 bound for Istanbul’s Sabiha Gökçen International Airport, had entered Runway 18 West. Operating procedures at Frankfurt Airport designate Runway 18 strictly for southbound departures, as the opposing direction (Runway 36) is restricted due to the rising terrain of the nearby Taunus mountain range.
According to flight data and reports, the Airbus A321neo commenced its takeoff roll heading north when air traffic control (ATC) intervened. The controller promptly radioed the pilots, advising them of the navigational error. The crew initiated a rejected takeoff at a low groundspeed of approximately 35 knots (40 mph).
No injuries or damage were reported. Following the instruction and a brief delay to reposition the aircraft, the flight departed without further incident roughly seven minutes later and completed its trip to Istanbul safely.
DFS (Deutsche Flugsicherung), Germany’s air navigation service provider, confirmed the occurrence and stated that the incident has been formally reported to the responsible authorities. Germany’s Federal Bureau of Aircraft Accident Investigation (Bundesstelle für Flugunfalluntersuchung, BFU) will evaluate the report to determine if a full formal investigation will be opened into how the lineup error occurred.
Lineup checks and runway position verifications are standard aviation protocols intended to ensure aircraft headings match assigned runway designations prior to applying takeoff thrust. Investigators will likely examine cockpit communication, taxiway markings, and crew procedures to understand how the aircraft was turned in the opposite direction before ATC stepped in.
