Originally Posted by BOH
Yep, in 1960 a PanAm 707 landed at Northolt mistaking it for LHR. There was a gasometer(s) on the final approaches to both airports to confuse things further. I read that after this incident, on the one near Northolt they painted, "NOT LHR" on it.
Rumour has it the 707 had to be stripped of all interior fittings such as galleys, seats etc to fly it back out of Northolt.
I've read the 707s need pretty long runways to get them off the ground, so the plane must have been skeletal.. they had to close the A40 once when a 757 (!) took off in 2001!
from wikipedia-
5 years later it did happen yet again, and the first pilot had his licence returned to him when another 707 landed at Northolt. -lufthansa I believe
