safety
Wrong-runway A320 landing prompts Russian visual approach restrictions
Following an incident where an S7 Airlines Airbus A320 touched down on a closed parallel runway at Makhachkala, Russian aviation authorities are severely restricting visual approaches at airports undergoing construction. The airliner crew landed without incident on July 5 despite missing signage and a lack of NOTAMs warning about the uncommissioned surface. The sweeping directive mandates that flight crews prioritize instrument approaches when operating near airfield construction zones. This serves as a stark reminder for pilots everywhere that relying solely on visual cues near parallel runway projects invites dangerous illusions.
