Oct 22, 2009 7:15 pm US/Pacific
Airline Crew Overshoots Minn. Airport By 150 Miles
Fatigue May Be At Issue, Federal Officials Say
MINNEAPOLIS (CBS) ―
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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. (File)
CBS
Federal officials said Thursday they were investigating whether pilot fatigue was a factor in a Northwest Airlines jet overflying the Minneapolis airport by 150 miles before crew members discovered their mistake and turned around.
The plane landed safely Wednesday evening, and none of the passengers or crew was hurt, the National Transportation Safety Board said. Northwest's parent, Delta Airlines Inc., said the jet carried 144 passengers and five crew members.
The NTSB said Northwest flight 188, an Airbus A320, was flying from San Diego to Minneapolis and lost radio contact with controllers just before 7 p.m. CDT when it was at 37,000 feet. The jet flew over the airport just before 8 p.m. and overshot it by 150 miles before communications were re-established at 8:14 p.m, the NTSB's statement said.
The Federal Aviation Administration said the crew told authorities they became distracted during a heated discussion over airline policy and lost track of where they were.
But NTSB spokesman Keith Holloway said the agency will also look into whether fatigue played a role in the incident.
"We will look into fatigue issues," Holloway said. "We don't know" if the crew fell asleep, he said, calling that "speculative."
Holloway said NTSB investigators as of Thursday afternoon had not yet examined the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder, which were being sent to the NTSB lab in Washington for analysis. He said the agency was also seeking to interview the pilots, but hadn't yet scheduled a meeting.
Delta spokesman Anthony Black said the two pilots have been suspended from flying while the airline conducts an internal investigation. He refused to name them or give further details on their background or what happened in the air.
"We're in cooperation with the FAA and NTSB on the investigation. We are conducting our own internal investigation," Black said. "Beyond that the pilots have been relieved from active flying pending completion of the investigation."
FAA spokeswoman Laura Brown said air traffic controllers in Denver had been in contact with the pilots as they flew over the Rockies. But as the plane got closer to Minneapolis, she said "the Denver center tried to contact the flight but couldn't get anyone."
Denver controllers notified their counterparts in Minneapolis, who also tried to reach the crew but without success, Brown said. Controllers were able to re-established audio communication with the flight crew at 8:14 p.m. when the plan was over Eau Claire, Wis., said Tony Molinaro, an FAA spokesman in Chicago.
"Radar controllers were the whole time trying to make audio contact with that plane," Molinaro said.
Brown said it wasn't clear who initiated communications when contact finally was made.
After the plane landed in Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, two airport police officer met and boarded the plane at the gate, said Metropolitan Airports Commission spokesman Pat Hogan said, adding that it was standard procedure for police to board an aircraft after communication with air traffic controllers is lost.
Kelly Regus, a spokeswoman for the Delta branch of the Air Line Pilots Association, declined to comment.
(© 2009 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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