Two Canadian CF-18s were on approach to land at Florida airport … – National Post

Two CF-18 fighter jets were preparing for a landing at a Florida airport that closed seven years ago but were warned off by air traffic controllers the facility no longer had a functioning runway.

The jets, from Cold Lake, Alta., were in Florida for a training exercise and had planned to land Tuesday at Tyndall Air Force Base just outside Panama City, Fla. But because of a minor in-field emergency at Tyndall, the CF-18s were diverted to Northwest Beaches International also in the same area.

The Royal Canadian Air Force jets began their approach on what they believed was Northwest Beaches but instead turned out to be SweetBay, an airport that closed in 2010.

SweetBay is now the location of a new housing development, and while a runway still exists on the site, it is no longer functioning.

Local residents watched as the fighter jets came in with their wheels down before they aborted their landing.

They spotted I guess its SweetBay Airport which is now closed and thought it was International, Capt. Mat Strong with 4 Wing Cold Lake, explained to My Panhandle, a news outlet that covers the Florida Panhandle region. They called the tower and asked for confirmation. When they were doing their approach, the tower informed them no, youre actually at a closed airport.

Theyd be coming in, lining up with the runway, getting prepared to land, maybe even lowering their gear, added Strong. And then at several hundred feet before touchdown, they would just basically just fly over the field.

In an email to the Ottawa Citizen, Strong noted that the pilots were unfamiliar with the region and that Northwest Beaches International is only about 10 nautical miles away from the now closed SweetBay airport.

Both CF-18s later landed at Northwest Beaches International.

Screenshots below courtesy of the WMBB News 13 report show the closed runway at SweetBay.

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Two Canadian CF-18s were on approach to land at Florida airport ... - National Post