Boeing 757-224 incident near Newark, New Jersey, October 28, 2006
On October 28, 2006 at about 10:31 pm local time, a Boeing 757-224, registered N17105, was involved in an incident near Newark, New Jersey (Newark International Airport). It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 154 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The flight crew's misidentification of the parallel taxiway as the active runway, resulting in the flight crew executing a landing on the taxiway. Contributing was the night lighting conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 28, 2006 · about 10:31 pm local time
- Place
- Newark, New Jersey · Newark International Airport · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 154 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Boeing 757-224 · all 757-224s on the register
- Registration
- N17105 · registry record · serial 27295
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight crew conducted an Instrument Landing System (ILS) approach to runway 22L, during night, visual meteorological conditions. As the airplane descended to an altitude of approximately 8,000 to 9,000 feet, the flight crew was instructed to "circle to land on runway 29." At an altitude of 900 feet, the first officer turned the airplane onto the final approach for runway 29, a 6,800 foot-long, 150-foot-wide asphalt runway. As he rolled the airplane level, he noted four white lights on the PAPI, which the flight crew believed was located to the left of the runway. As the airplane touched down, the captain realized they landed on taxiway Zulu, a 75-foot-wide concrete taxiway, aligned parallel and to the right of runway 29. The incident flight was the first officer's first approach to runway 29. Runway 29 was equipped with high-intensity runway edge lights (HIRL), which were set on step 1 (out of a 5-step system) at the time of the incident. Runway 29 also had centerline lights (CL), and runway end identifier lights (REIL), which were visually confirmed to be on at the time of the incident. The runway 29 PAPI was located on the right side of the runway, as described on the airport information page associated with the instrument procedures for the airport. Taxiway Zulu had green centerline lights, which were set on step 3 (of a 5-step system). In addition, blue reflective markers, defined the edges of taxiway Zulu. According to airport personnel, six aircraft made the same approach, within 10 minutes of the incident aircraft, and landed successfully on runway 29.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 24,000 hours in all; 34 in this make and model; 150 in the last 90 days; 34 in the last 30 days; 13,200 as pilot in command; 100 on instruments
- Last flight review: October 1, 2006
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 6,202 hours in all; 388 in this make and model; 162 in the last 90 days; 73 in the last 30 days; 1,559 as pilot in command; 1,144 on instruments
- Last flight review: September 1, 2006
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 45,731 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, October 1, 2006
- Maximum gross weight: 2,133,000 lb
- Seats: 175
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Rolls-Royce RB211-535E4 (turbojet); 0 hours total
- Operator: Continental Airlines INC
The flight
- Departed from: MCO Orlando FL at 8:40 pm
- Destination: EWR Newark NJ
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 29, 6,800 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 280° at 25 knots, gusting 34
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 7,000 ft
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 29.20 inHg
- Observation at 9:51 pm from EWR
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 6 | |||
| Passengers | 148 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.