According to multiple reports, the plane accelerated to 127 knots (about 235 km/h) on the taxiway before the brakes were applied, halting with margins that no one wants to measure afterward. At 100 knots, the co-pilot looked up and said the situation was wrong, and seconds later shouted to stop repeatedly, as described by Realtid. Aviation expert Jan Ohlsson told Realtid it was seconds from a very deadly accident, literally.
The crew faced significant time constraints, with the aircraft delayed and only 42 minutes to turn it around to avoid missing its slot. Witnesses confirmed that the pilots were out at the gate trying to ensure quick boarding because many passengers needed to catch last connecting flights from Copenhagen to Sweden and Norway, and the plane was already late upon landing in Brussels, according to Realtid. Air traffic control suggested an intersection takeoff to save time, which the crew accepted.
No, this is wrong.
The location was already classified as a risk zone, or 'hot spot,' where pilots must be extra attentive. The taxiway is lit completely differently than the runway, and others have taken the wrong route here but not come as close to the obstacle-filled end of the extra short taxiway, Realtid reported. The aircraft lacked several modern systems that could have prevented the mistake, including no map with real-time position in the cockpit, no system warning about starting from the wrong runway, and no audio warnings at the wrong position.
In response, SAS has now begun implementing better map support in the cockpit—a system that shows exactly where the plane is on the ground. The crew was experienced, with the captain having over 15,000 flight hours. The specific date and time of the incident, the exact flight number and aircraft model, any injuries or damage, and details of official investigations remain unknown, as do specific actions beyond cockpit map support that SAS is taking to prevent similar incidents.
Stop, stop, stop, stop.
Witnesses have confirmed that the pilots were also out in the gate and trying to ensure boarding would go quickly. They had a large proportion of passengers who needed to catch the last connecting flights from Copenhagen to Sweden and Norway from Copenhagen. The plane was late already upon landing in Brussels. The weather was completely okay, no poor visibility, I was myself five kilometers from the place outdoors. It was the young female co-pilot who shouted stop. They already had over 200 km/h on the taxiway, which is lit completely differently than the runway. Others have taken the wrong route here, but not come as close to the obstacle-filled end of the extra short taxiway. It was seconds from a very deadly accident, literally...