Feds Interview Northwest Pilots Who Overshot Minneapolis Airport

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Federal investigators interviewed the crew of the Northwest Airlines flight that overshot the Minneapolis airport by 150 miles on Sunday.

National Transportation Safety Board spokesman Keith Holloway said investigators were interviewing the pilot and co-pilot in person in Minneapolis. He would not provide additional details, but did say the NTSB would not comment on the substance of the discussions until Monday at the earliest.

Northwest Airlines is cooperating and doing its own internal investigation, said Chris Kelly, a spokesman for Northwest Airlines' parent company, Delta Air Lines Inc.

Air traffic controllers tried for more than an hour Wednesday night to contact the Minneapolis-bound flight, which later turned around and landed safely. First officer Richard Cole has said he and the captain were not sleeping or arguing in the cockpit, but hasn't explained their lapse in response and the detour. The Wall Street Journal reported on its Web site Sunday that the pilots planned to repeat their story to safety investigators during Sunday's interview.

Comments

[nikio1975]

Everyone has nodded off on the job for a few seconds or couple minutes at some point but who would dare sleep for that long while flying a plane and both pilots at the same time. Please, some hanky panky was going on. The pilots weren't concerned about answering the control towers because they knew the plane wasn't in any danger, they just figured we'll figure out something when we land, they probaly didn't figure this would be such a big issue.

[apoyo]

What I want to know is what was up with the cabin crew that they didn't realize the elongated flight time and check on the pilots.

And what about the passengers. Why give you an itinerary if you are not going to pay attention to the time you leave and the time you land? If we were not descending at the appropriate time and the captain wasn't making an announcement about weather or traffic delays then I would be ringing for the attendant and asking "what's up"?

[Mike Sprinkel]

What kind of navigation system were they using? Was it GPS, VOR, inertial, or a combination thereof? Does that even matter? I'm just thinking that it might be easier to overshoot a waypoint if you're using, for example, VOR (though that would be weird) than GPS, though I'm not a commercial airline pilot so what do I know? I just figure that if they didn't tune their radio to the right tower, and their navigation system didn't put up obvious flags, than I can see how something like this could happen.

Don't get me wrong, it's pretty weak. I'm not taking their side. I'm just saying it's not totally inconceivable that they didn't fall asleep and still overshot the airport.

[roblabrousse]

No matter what happened these guys are loosing their wings. So why all the secrecy if not to keep the company's stock from crashing. Negligence is negligence no matter how it happens. It is odd that the rest of the crew didn't take notice or make a move to go to the cabin to inquire about arrival time etc.
I can't s

[Pinhead]

Missing a runway by 150 feet is over shooting it. Missing it by 150 miles is reckless.

[patrickmcdougal]

Have you ever been to Minneapolis?
Maybe the pilots were trying to sneak on by.

[MajorKong]

I expect something along the lines of - "That's my story and I'm sticking with it."

[DanGreen]

Reporters -- do the math on this story. If ATC was trying to contact the NW flight for an hour, and the aircraft was at 30+ thousand feet in normal cruise flight, this means that the aircraft covered some 400-500 miles while out of contact. Frankly, this retired commercial pilot does not believe that two pilots sat and argued wth each other for that long. It just defies all belief. If this happened, get them out of the cockpit and never let them fly again. The most logical answer is that the two dozed off. I know personally of one case in which this has happened. Fess up, guys. Maybe you can end your careers instructing in Cessna 150s, but at least you can keep flying. If you were actually up there awake and distracted for an hour, you should never be let near a cockpit again.

[brent777]

I'm also wondering what's up with the flight attendants. I'm a recently furloughed flight attendant for a major airline. I can't recall a flight that I didn't try to get ahold of the cockpit because someone always wants to know what time are we landing, so like clock work on every flight about 30 minutes before we are due to land me or one of my flying partners call the cockpit to get a more accurate ETA. Come on they flew a whole hour without a flight attendant calling up front to see what was up? That seems odd to me.

[jws2346]

I like that, Northwest Airlines is doing it's own internal investigation, bias much?

[VJKramer]

Uh...employers investigate in circumstances like these to determine what, if any, discipline they will impose. It's not in the airline's best interest to try to keep these guys working, if they are a safety risk. Also, while they made a huge mistake, no one was physically hurt. Until all the details are known, your comment is premature.

[primordialsoup]

The media harps on the distance that they overshot MPLS, but don't ever mention that, depending on the cruise speed of the airplane, 150 miles is only 15 to 20 minutes. I'm not defending what happened, but a little perspective seems warranted.

[cotati08]

You want perspective? Okay. They went an HOUR AND TWENTY MINUTES without responding to ATC.
If they weren't asleep - then they were beyond incompetent. Fire 'em both.

[JFD8]

Northwest is now under suspicion
Of hiding its pilot condition;
With its jet on approach
Only those flying coach
Were locked in the upright position.

News Short n' Sweet by JFD8
http://twitter.com/JFD8

[philoffal]

why was this plane not intercepted after failing to respond?

[clumberfeet]

Alien abduction.

[C65]

Aliens no,this is the results of REAGANOMICS. Do any of you remember the song:
"YOU CAME A LONG WAY BABY"? well,this is the long way baby syndrone from the
80's and Reagan's choices to fire those AIR CONTROLLERS that was so popular
with the then controlled GOP CONGRESS.THESE
ACTIONS ARE THE REPUBLICANS yet again CHICKENS COMMING HOME TO
ROOST.Everytime these people have control some CATATROPHIC conditions
occurs,when are you people going to wake up and SMELL THE COFFEE BREWING?
What is it going to take for you to understand that REPUBLICANS are a disaster!
I WILL NOT FLY EVER AGAIN,HOW DO I KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE
COCKPIT?I will not pay to die!

[nirek]

WOW , someone else with a memory! I remember raygun union busting and all the HARM he did!
Nirek

[patenapier]

Yep. this is the end result of Reagan's union busting and destruction of the airline industry. I was there. I might add that most pilots and flight attendants bought into reaganomics. Little they know that they were the target. They voted for Reagan twice and Bush once and then wondered what happened. Lots of regrets out there.

[godzthor1]

Check their cell phone records!

The pilots were either sexting, exploring their deep mutual passion, setting up a meet n' greet with former senator Larry Craig, or attempting to download Windows 7.

[Lee Andrew]

LOL.

[nikio1975]

I will go with exploring their inner passions

[ACMJane]

..Windows 7--funny!

[sadwitness]

love that

[mjeffn]

what do you expect for $15k per year?

[KIVPossum]

For 15$K a year McDonalds expects someone to stay alert during their shift.

[bsc]

seriously it is sick that pilots are paid so little

[sartor]

Puleeeze... They get paid a LOT more than that.

I'd bet they get $50,000 - $100,000.. at least.