What happened
On February 21, 2006, at 21:14 UTC, an Airbus A340-300, registration CS-TOD, operated by TAP Portugal, performed a landing on Taxiway B at Guarulhos International Airport (SBGR). The aircraft, arriving from Rio de Janeiro, was on final approach for runway 27R.
During the approach, the crew encountered challenging visual conditions. Intense sunlight from the setting sun, combined with a wet runway surface and high humidity, created a "mirroring" effect on the pavement. This phenomenon obscured critical visual references, including the runway lights, PAPI, and runway markings. The crew identified a paved strip of asphalt and, due to the visual distortions, mistakenly identified Taxiway B as the active runway 27R.
As the aircraft neared the ground, Air Traffic Control (ATC) issued an emergency instruction in English: "pull up, straight ahead, pull up, you are on bravo." However, because previous communications had been conducted in Portuguese, the crew did not immediately realize the instruction was directed at them and proceeded with the landing. The aircraft touched down smoothly on the taxiway, and the crew believed they had landed on the correct runway, reporting the runway as clear.