October 24, 2026 — A Pegasus Airlines Airbus A321neo began its takeoff roll at Frankfurt in the wrong direction on a runway, leaving it less than half the usable distance, before an air traffic controller spotted the error and the crew aborted.
What happened
The incident took place on Tuesday, October 20, on Pegasus flight PC996 from Frankfurt (FRA) to Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen (SAW), operated by A321neo TC-RDO, according to Paddle Your Own Kanoo, which cites The Aviation Herald.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Flight | PC996 Frankfurt–Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen |
| Aircraft | Airbus A321neo, TC-RDO |
| Pushback | About 6:09 pm from Terminal 3 (scheduled 5:35 pm) |
| Clearance | Join taxiway S and turn left onto Runway 18 (about 2,755 m available) |
| What the crew did | Turned right instead, leaving about 1,200 m, and started the takeoff roll |
| Outcome | Controller alerted the crew; takeoff rejected; aircraft taxied back and departed in the correct direction minutes later |
| Investigation | German air traffic control reported it to the authorities; whether Germany’s BFU will investigate is TBA |
No injuries were reported. The report notes that if the BFU does open an investigation, cockpit voice recorder data from the event has probably already been overwritten.
What it means for non-revs
There is no schedule or pass-travel impact; Pegasus operated the flight minutes later. The story matters to airline people as a reminder of how quickly a routine taxi can go wrong at a complex airport after a delayed evening pushback, and of the value of a controller watching the runway. Pilots and dispatchers will want to watch for any BFU findings.
Sources
- Paddle Your Own Kanoo — Pilots Turn the Wrong Way Onto the Runway, Giving Them Less Than Half the Takeoff Distance at Frankfurt Airport
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