For the second time in less than 30 days, an errant driver managed to find a way onto either a taxiway or runway at Philadelphia International Airport and the latest episode, Thursday, may have resulted in a close call. A tower controller at PHL is being credited for spotting through fog a Jeep on the runway. The controller directed a US Airways Express flight that was seconds from touching down to go around, according to CNN. Other sources say the Jeep was stopped before reaching the runway. The driver this time allegedly crashed a fence to gain access and may have been operating under the influence of drugs. That wasn’t the case in another incident early last month that reportedly launched a TSA investigation.
Thursday’s incident reportedly involved a 24-year-old male who had been waiting outside of the airport grounds for a flight to land before crashing a perimeter fence to gain access. Local authorities found no threatening contents in the driver’s vehicle and sated that the driver appeared to be under the influence of a drug. Last month, a driver and passenger drove hundreds of yards down Taxiway J at PHL and at one point got out of the car before being detected. In that case, authorities say the driver gained access through a checkpoint after getting lost at approximately 3:45 am. The driver and passenger appeared sincerely confused and were not charged with a crime, but a police officer who failed to stop the vehicle was expected to face disciplinary measures. The TSA was said to be investigating the incident.
