NTSB asks if NW pilots nodded off prior to landing

[FWAAA]

Whoops!

Pilots of a Northwest Airlines flight approaching Minneapolis International Airport Wednesday night temporarily lost radio contact with air-traffic controllers and apparently overshot their destination by about 100 miles.

The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the incident as a possible case of pilots nodding off at the controls, according to government and industry officials familiar with the matter.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1256235178...mp;mod=yahoo_hs

Wow.

A few days ago, Delta crew lands on ATL taxiway and now NW pilots may be sleeping at the controls.

 

[BABABOOY]

It will be interesting to see whats on the voice recorders.
Heated discussion for that long? Really?....Really?

"The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating an incident where an Airbus A320 overflew the Minneapolis-St Paul International/Wold-Chamberlain Airport (MSP).

On Wednesday, October 21, 2009, at 5:56 pm mountain daylight time, an Airbus A320, N03274, operating as Northwest Airlines (NWA) flight 188, became a NORDO (no radio communications) flight at 37,000 feet. The flight was operating as a Part 121 flight from San Diego International Airport, San Diego, California (SAN) to MSP with 147 passengers and unknown number of crew. "


http://ntsb.gov/Pressrel/2009/091022.html

 

[Kev3188]

I'm gonna guess the CVR is *really* quiet for awhile, followed by something along the lines of "oh s--t," and then the sound of the CB being pulled.

on a serious note, 2 operational F-ups in under a week is no good.

 

[jimntx]

According to the CNN report, there was no contact with the cockpit from DEN to MSP. DEN controllers handed off a/c to MSP as a NORDO--no radio contact.

CNN.com article

 

[USFlyer]

From FlightAware:

http://flightaware.com/live/flight/NWA188/...2135Z/KSAN/KMSP

 

[Harry Callahan]

CNN this am said the pilots were having a heated discussion about NW policy

 

[KCFlyer]

CNN this am said the pilots were having a heated discussion about NW policy

Now the question becomes...would you want to be on a plane where BOTH pilots were so involved in a "heated discussion" that they failed to hear ATC calls from Denver to Minneapolis?

 

[heckle and jyde]

I have a question that i hope someone can help me with. with auto pilot engaged i thought the plane would automaticly begin its decent. At what point of the flight does the auto pilor get turned off and be flown by the pilots?

 

[MTheory]

I have a question that i hope someone can help me with. with auto pilot engaged i thought the plane would automaticly begin its decent. At what point of the flight does the auto pilor get turned off and be flown by the pilots?

It all depends on what mode the a/p is engaged in. If it is engaged in heading/alt hold, then it will hold heading and altitude until the pilot changes the mode. If it is in VNAV/LNAV (boeing) (I dont know the nomenclature for an A320) and the waypoints and altitudes are set and activated, the a/p will follow what ever is programed into the FMC.

It is up to the pilot when to disengage the a/p. I have been in the cockpit when they keep it engaged until g/s and loc capture. On an autoland it is never turned off. However directional and vertical changes are always being made either by changing the heading window, altitude or using LNAV/VNAV.

 

[phasersonstun2]

"When the aircraft taxied to the gate I was able to see the two white males in the seats of the flight crew, both were wearing uniforms consistent with Delta flight crew," said a police report, signed by an Officer Starch. "When the aircraft had stopped, the male seated in the pilot seat turned, looked at me and gave me two thumbs up and shook his head indicating all was OK."


Is it me or is there a gross generalization in this statement from the Officer circa 1965?

 

[hp_fa]

Is it me or is there a gross generalization in this statement from the Officer circa 1965?

IMO, it's you. Remember exactly why the police were there and remember that there had been an identity question at one point.

 

[tech2101]

It will be interesting to see whats on the voice recorders.
Heated discussion for that long? Really?....Really?

"The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating an incident where an Airbus A320 overflew the Minneapolis-St Paul International/Wold-Chamberlain Airport (MSP).

On Wednesday, October 21, 2009, at 5:56 pm mountain daylight time, an Airbus A320, N03274, operating as Northwest Airlines (NWA) flight 188, became a NORDO (no radio communications) flight at 37,000 feet. The flight was operating as a Part 121 flight from San Diego International Airport, San Diego, California (SAN) to MSP with 147 passengers and unknown number of crew. "


http://ntsb.gov/Pressrel/2009/091022.html

There is only 30 minutes of CVR time captured. That means they will have had time to plan their discussion for the last 30 minutes prior to turning the aircraft around and heading to the original destination. It will probably sound like "wow, I didn't know the radio volume was down...how come we did not get the ECAM warning...etc..."

Either way, they are toast.

 

[jimntx]

On the Today show this morning, they showed a brief statement from the FO involved. This is not an exact quote, but according to the FO...

"We were not asleep. There was no argument in the cockpit. The passengers were never in any danger. Beyond that, I can not say anything."

Did anyone think any differently? Now, that we've cleared that up.

 

[FA Mikey]

Jim I saw the interview. Did he think he sounded credible? Do the 2 of them really think they can pull off this charade, of we were in a heated discussion? If your primary duty is to fly the airplane and you are so far removed from that that you cannot hear or answer the radio. What does that say about their mental state and their ability to do their job? It never occurred to either one in 80 mins to speak to ATC? Amazing!

 

[phasersonstun2]

IMO, it's you. Remember exactly why the police were there and remember that there had been an identity question at one point.

The point is that the officer used color coding of crew members to determine one's purpose or intent. That should not be a factor. There are blond-haired blue-eyed bad guys out there too.