Airline Pilot Central Forums - View Single Post - Northwest jet overshoots Minneapolis airport

10-22-2009, 11:52 AM

#1

iaflyer

seeing the large hubs...

Joined APC: Oct 2006

Position: 73N A

Posts: 3,705

Northwest jet overshoots Minneapolis airport

Just saw this on the WSJ. This blurb below is from the Minneapolis paper. The WSJ suggests the crew might of fallen alsleep. Here's the flightaware data too:

http://flightaware.com/live/flight/N...135Z/KSAN/KMSP

Northwest jet overshoots Minneapolis airport
Associated Press
Last update: October 22, 2009 - 2:46 PM

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.