SAN DIEGO -
New information released Friday into the Northwest Airlines flight from San Diego that overshot its destination last month. The Federal Aviation Administration released audio tapes from Northwest flight 188. The flight carrying 144 passengers took off from San Diego Oct. 22 headed for Minneapolis. It somehow missed that destination by 150 miles. According to the National Transportation Safety Board, the pilots first realized the mistake when a flight attendant asked what time they would land. For 77 minutes air traffic controllers heard nothing but silence. Then a response comes from one of the pilots.
"We got distracted and we've over flown Minneapolis," said one of the Northwest pilots according to the transcripts.
Fearing the flight may have been hijacked, air traffic controllers insist on making sure everything is under control.
"Ah, you can stay right here and on this frequency and I just have to verify that the cockpit is secure," said one of the air traffic controllers.
A Northwest pilot responded, "It is secure, we got distracted."
Later the tower can be heard asking, "Northwest 188, ah, do you have time to give a brief explanation of what happened?"
"Cockpit distractions that's all I can say," responded the pilot.
The tower then presses further for more answers.
"Northwest 188, is there any way you can elaborate on the distraction?" said the tower.
Twelve seconds later the captain responded with "we're just dealing with some company issues here and that's all that's all I can tell you right now at this time."
Once on the ground, the pilots explained they got distracted while going over the company's complicated new scheduling program using their laptop computers in the cockpit. The pilots have both had their license suspended. They are appealing and their case should be heard in the next few months.
"We got distracted and we've over flown Minneapolis," said one of the Northwest pilots according to the transcripts.
Fearing the flight may have been hijacked, air traffic controllers insist on making sure everything is under control.
"Ah, you can stay right here and on this frequency and I just have to verify that the cockpit is secure," said one of the air traffic controllers.
A Northwest pilot responded, "It is secure, we got distracted."
Later the tower can be heard asking, "Northwest 188, ah, do you have time to give a brief explanation of what happened?"
"Cockpit distractions that's all I can say," responded the pilot.
The tower then presses further for more answers.
"Northwest 188, is there any way you can elaborate on the distraction?" said the tower.
Twelve seconds later the captain responded with "we're just dealing with some company issues here and that's all that's all I can tell you right now at this time."
Once on the ground, the pilots explained they got distracted while going over the company's complicated new scheduling program using their laptop computers in the cockpit. The pilots have both had their license suspended. They are appealing and their case should be heard in the next few months.
Digg
Twitter
Facebook
StumbleUpon
