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WILMINGTON, N.C. (AP) — Officials say runway lights at Wilmington International Airport in North Carolina were turned off early, disrupting two incoming flights and canceling two departures.
Airport operations director Gary Broughton told local reporters a runway repaving job is occasionally prompting officials to close both runways late at night when the work is done. Broughton said Wednesday night the lights were improperly turned off at 11:15 p.m., instead of at 12:15 a.m. Thursday.
Federal Aviation Administration officials in Atlanta got the lights back on after the mistake was discovered, but a Delta flight had already turned back to Atlanta and a US Airways plane returned to Charlotte.
Since the planes weren't in Wilmington, two early morning flights Thursday were canceled.
Broughton says the airport is working to make sure it doesn't happen again.
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