A flight bound for Southern Pines spent nearly half an hour circling over southern Moore County on Monday night after air traffic controllers were unable to confirm that the runway was clear.
Officials say the situation started when another plane, which had landed earlier at the Moore County Airport, failed to radio air traffic control to report that it had cleared the runway. Because of that, the next plane, traveling from Raleigh-Durham International Airport, was not given clearance to land.
As the second aircraft circled the area waiting for confirmation, the Moore County Sheriff’s Office was called to the airport to check the runway and surrounding area. Deputies searched the grounds but reported not finding any aircraft on or near the runway.
With the confusion unresolved, flight tracking data shows the circling plane eventually diverted back to RDU.
Officials later said there’s no indication that the first aircraft experienced any problems while landing. It’s believed the pilot simply forgot to radio in that the runway had been cleared.
