Did a Pegasus Airlines plane travel the wrong way on the runway during takeoff? The airline responds!
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On October 20 (local time), a Pegasus Airlines Airbus A321neo, while preparing for takeoff at Frankfurt Airport in Germany, turned in the wrong direction after entering the runway. This left the aircraft with less than half the runway length originally planned for its departure. German air traffic controllers noticed the error and contacted the flight crew via radio. The aircraft subsequently exited the runway, taxied back to the correct position, and eventually took off safely.
The flight involved was Pegasus Airlines flight PC996 (registration TC-RDO), which was scheduled to fly from Frankfurt to Sabiha Gökçen International Airport in Istanbul, Turkey. According to aviation news outlets The Aviation Herald and aeroTELEGRAPH, German air traffic control authorities have reported the incident to the relevant agencies.
Turning in the wrong direction after entering the runway
Flight PC996 was originally scheduled to depart at 17:35 local time on October 20, but it actually pushed back from the gate at approximately 18:09. After leaving the terminal area, the aircraft taxied along taxiway S toward runway 18/36 and received clearance to take off from runway 18.
Runway 18/36 at Frankfurt Airport is oriented in a north-south direction, with Runway 18 designated for departures toward the south. In accordance with air traffic control (ATC) instructions, the aircraft was expected to turn left at the intersection of taxiway S and the runway to begin its takeoff roll southward.
However, upon entering the runway, the flight crew turned to the right, leaving the aircraft's nose pointed north-the opposite of the cleared takeoff direction.
This error directly affected the available takeoff distance. Since the intersection of taxiway S and the runway is located approximately 1,260 meters from the northern end of the runway, a departure to the south would have provided an available takeoff distance of about 2,755 meters; conversely, a northward orientation left only about 1,200 to 1,260 meters-less than half of the distance available in the correct direction.
According to reports, the crew began their takeoff roll, but an air traffic controller, noticing the anomaly, immediately issued a warning via radio. The aircraft ceased its acceleration and exited the runway via taxiway M. It subsequently returned to a holding position near taxiway S, re-entered the runway, and took off in the correct direction approximately seven minutes later. No further issues occurred during the remainder of the flight.
Pegasus Airlines denies that the crew attempted to take off in the wrong direction.
As reported by the German aviation news outlet *aero.de*, Pegasus Airlines stated that while the aircraft did turn in the wrong direction upon entering the runway, the crew brought it to a safe stop and exited the runway following coordination with air traffic control. The airline emphasized that the crew did not attempt a takeoff in the wrong direction, and that claims suggesting the aircraft had already begun its takeoff run before being halted by the tower are inaccurate.
Pegasus Airlines further noted that the incident was reported in accordance with standard safety procedures and is currently under review.
The German air navigation service provider, DFS, confirmed to *The Aviation Herald* that the incident has been reported to the relevant authorities. It remains up to the German Federal Bureau of Aircraft Accident Investigation (BFU) to determine whether a formal investigation will be launched and what its scope might be.
As of now, the cause of the incident remains unclear, and it has yet to be confirmed whether further investigations will be conducted by the relevant authorities.