Airbus A321neo: Lined up on runway 18 facing the wrong direction before stopping; BFU investigating as a serious incident.
Known facts
- Flight PC996 Frankfurt → Istanbul, about 18:02 local on 20 Oct 2026.
- The aircraft entered runway 18 and turned the opposite way to the assigned takeoff direction, then stopped and vacated.
- It re-entered correctly a few minutes later and departed without further incident.
- Germany’s BFU confirmed a serious-incident investigation. Fraport and DFS confirmed an occurrence.
- Pegasus confirmed the wrong turn but says there was no takeoff attempt in the wrong direction.
Unknown / not claimed
- Speed reached before stopping (unofficial reports say ~65 km/h; Pegasus disputes a takeoff attempt).
- Whether a Swiss go-around at the same time was related.
Sources
- tagesschau / hessenschau — BFU, Fraport, DFS, Pegasus statements — Tier A — investigator + operator via public broadcaster
- aero.de — Tier B — aviation trade
Confidence label
Labeled Confirmed per the TurbineWire methodology. Steve moves labels as sourcing improves; corrections get a timestamp, not a shrug. Material changes append under Updates rather than silently rewriting the original card.
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