oops!

Mark · #1 (**permalink**) 10-22-2009, 04:38 PM

Bet this excuse won't fly with the bosses!
Mark

October 22, 2009
Jet overshoots airport by 150 miles

Associated Press

MINNEAPOLIS — Federal officials say a Northwest Airlines jet overflew the Minneapolis airport by 150 miles before crew members discovered their mistake.

The plane landed safely Wednesday evening, and none of the 147 passengers and crew were injured.
The National Transportation Safety Board says the Airbus A320 was flying from San Diego to Minneapolis and lost radio contact with controllers before 7 p.m.
The NTSB says the jet flew about 150 miles past the Minneapolis airport before communications were re-established at 8:14 p.m.
The Federal Aviation Administration says the crew told authorities they became distracted during a heated discussion over airline policy and lost track of where they were.

Airline officials didn't immediately return calls.

bezking · #2 (**permalink**) 10-22-2009, 05:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mark

Bet this excuse won't fly with the bosses!

Very good.

gewecke · #3 (**permalink**) 10-22-2009, 09:00 PM

* U turn?*

Or not.
N9ZAS

rvictor · #4 (**permalink**) 10-23-2009, 12:22 AM

They probably won't have to worry about discussions of that airline's policy any longer.

Dick

gewecke · #5 (**permalink**) 10-23-2009, 12:33 AM

They're probably arguing about it while standing in the unemployment line!

N9ZAS

immelmen · #6 (**permalink**) 10-23-2009, 03:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rvictor

They probably won't have to worry about discussions of that airline's policy any longer.

Dick

Quote:

Originally Posted by gewecke

They're probably arguing about it while standing in the unemployment line!

N9ZAS

They are not going to lose their jobs....The CAL 757 crew who landed on a taxiway at Newark, and didnt tell anyone, didn't get fired...The Captain that busted P-56 TWICE in the same takeoff from DCA didnt get fired....and neither will these guys.

You can literally crash an airplane (as one APD check airman at a major US airline did) and not get fired....but god forbid you make a politically incorrect joke on the intercom during the pushback, now that will get you canned.

Squad10 · #7 (**permalink**) 10-23-2009, 11:14 AM

A good case for cell phones being on during a flight. When the FAA does not receive a radio response from pilots, they could call a passenger’s or flight attendant’s cell phone and ask them to check on the pilots.

MullinsBroadcast · #8 (**permalink**) 10-23-2009, 11:51 PM

Oh, please, did somebody, somewhere record any of that traffic... "Hello, Rangoon, come in?"

Mark · #9 (**permalink**) 10-24-2009, 12:11 AM

I can't believe any passengers didn't notice?
Not crazy about airline flights myself so always keep track
when airborne and over hour late I sure would have noticed!
Most passengers are like sheep I guess...Baaaa!
Mark

holmdt · #10 (**permalink**) 10-24-2009, 06:30 AM

I read in my local paper that they fell asleep. As far as being fired it is because of the union.

Mark · #11 (**permalink**) 10-24-2009, 12:03 PM

Flight aware link to flight NWA-188
FlightAware > Northwest Airlines Inc. #188 > 21-Oct-2009 > KSAN-KMSP

gewecke · #12 (**permalink**) 10-24-2009, 04:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Squad10

A good case for cell phones being on during a flight. When the FAA does not receive a radio response from pilots, they could call a passenger’s or flight attendant’s cell phone and ask them to check on the pilots.

OOOHH YEAH! Let's see here....hmmmmmm? That's it,a new aeronautical occupation has just been created here! "PILOTsitter"? I could see the headlines read "73 year old grandmother of 6 gets cell call from miami control to beat on the cockpit door to wake the pilots"!

N9ZAS

kb2vxa · #13 (**permalink**) 10-24-2009, 07:15 PM

Link or it didn't happen. Similar stories have been circulating, the one I heard was one over Mumbai where the pilots fell asleep on autopilot. According to the story ATCs woke them with SELCAL as they did not respond to normal communications.

Raven95150 · #14 (**permalink**) 10-24-2009, 10:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kb2vxa

Link or it didn't happen.

It's been the top story here in the Twin Cities on every local newscast the last 3 days.

kare11.com | Twin Cities, MN | White House was monitoring Northwest flight that overflew Minneapolis
Pilot That Overshot Airport: Crew Wasn't Napping - wcco.com
KSTP TV - Minneapolis and St. Paul - Distracted Pilots Overfly the Twin Cities
Flight 188 Pilots Sober on Landing at MSP

holmdt · #15 (**permalink**) 10-25-2009, 06:49 AM

I was just reading the about links thanks. Maybe be They were havening sex??

gewecke · #16 (**permalink**) 10-25-2009, 11:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by holmdt

I was just reading the about links thanks. Maybe be They were havening sex??

Could be? I thought the "mile high club" only had quickies but maybe they take longer than 150miles!

N9ZAS

Mark · #17 (**permalink**) 10-25-2009, 12:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gewecke

Could be? I thought the "mile high club" only had quickies but maybe they take longer than 150miles!

N9ZAS

I guess for now those pilots are in the "Don't ask,Don't tell club".

Dubbin · #18 (**permalink**) 10-27-2009, 05:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by immelmen

They are not going to lose their jobs....

Try again

rvictor · #19 (**permalink**) 11-06-2009, 05:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by immelmen

They are not going to lose their jobs....

Do they get to keep their pilot jobs even though they have no pilots' licenses?

It's always a bad career move to embarrass one's employer. Also bad to lose one's license to perform one's job. That gives the employer an easy excuse for termination.

Dick

immelmen · #20 (**permalink**) 11-07-2009, 07:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dubbin

Try again

No thanks, I'll stick with my original reply.

Quote:

Originally Posted by rvictor

Do they get to keep their pilot jobs even though they have no pilots' licenses?

It's always a bad career move to embarrass one's employer. Also bad to lose one's license to perform one's job. That gives the employer an easy excuse for termination.

Dick

There is a process that I have seen repeated many times in this line of work, and if you had experence in this industry you would see the error in your post.

During my last recurrent I reviewed the details of an incident that happened a few years ago where a captain at a major US carrier made mistakes far more dangerous then those of the Northwest crew in question....here is how the process goes:

The initial investigation by the NTSB and FAA determine the First Officer acted appropriately and the Captain (pilot flying) was solely responsible for the incident. Due to the egregious nature of the error made by the Captain, she was required by the FAA to complete a "509 ride" which can be used by the FAA to determine if an airman is competent to hold their certificates following such an incident. The checkride was completed in a company level D simulator with representatives from the airline, the pilot union and the FAA inspector observing and a company APD check airman acting as her FO.

She performed horribly. The airline management supported the FAA's ruling to strip the captain of her ATP-MEL and Commercial-SEL airman certificates as well as her instrument rating and aircraft type rating. She was fired by the airline immediately following the checkride.

Fast forward a couple of months...after some negotiation by the union with all parties involved the captain's airman certificates were saved and her job reinstated. She is, to this day, still out there flying the line at said major airline.

That is how it goes...When people here and elsewhere start making off the cuff statements a couple of weeks into a several month long process which they know nothing about, ya just look foolish.

This is far from the worst of what has happened in the flight deck...its just being blown up by the Feds to cover their ass after the Buffalo crash and sensationalized by the media because its a slow news month.