Sleepy NWA pilots?

[Nick5600]

Perhaps in the future there will be a big red button you have to press every 5 minutes like in a locomotive. If you don't press it after 5 minutes the Locomotive turns off. Although this might not be very good in a plane.

 

[Dubya]

Actually it was taxyway "M"

"Good morning Atlanta Tower, this is Delta 60 on the Home Depot Parking Lot visual."

 

[J.Otto]

http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/10/24/airliner.fly.by/index.html

FO talking about the incident on video

maybe this guy speaks a little slow or is awesttruck by the camera, but he sounded like he'd been drinking or maybe just some marbles in his mouth.

 

[crj567]

maybe this guy speaks a little slow or is awesttruck by the camera, but he sounded like he'd been drinking or maybe just some marbles in his mouth.

I didn't hear it like that, although I cannot imagine why he said anything at all. You just never, ever talk to the media-they will figure out some way to make it look bad.

If you say nothing-no story, but if you say anything at all they will twist it around and make you look just like Gen Lee raping a Llama.

 

[Dubya]

I didn't hear it like that, although I cannot imagine why he said anything at all. You just never, ever talk to the media-they will figure out some way to make it look bad.

If you say nothing-no story, but if you say anything at all they will twist it around and make you look just like Gen Lee raping a Llama.

Seriously. Sooooo, you weren't sleeping, you weren't arguing, after saying that you were arguing, which means you are flipping incompetent.

Good work Mr. FO.

I bet your CA would appreciate a chance to boot you in the arse right about now. Especially now that i'm fairly certain this all happened after you said "roger, my controls, my radios" when he said he needed to study his eyelid revision.

 

[The Prussian]

While we're throwing out speculation, anyone know if their extended track took them near DTW? Maybe they were doing a Detroit turn later in the rotation, looked at the wrong line and entered the wrong destination during preflight. If the fms gave you the standard not enough fuel warning--"we haven't loaded the winds yet, that will change.". Miss a handoff somewhere, get distracted and bingo. Somewhere past MSP one of them picks up the rotation to talk about new scheduling policies and--hey where are we??

Hmmm...(!!!!)..Finally, a plausible theory that may have played a part in this fiasco....

 

[HomerJ]

They absolutely, positively, in no way did anything wrong, it's just not possible. Yep, they will fit right into the DL seniority list.

 

[airplane wizard]

Hmmm...(!!!!)..Finally, a plausible theory that may have played a part in this fiasco....

Okay, but why didn't they answer their radio calls then?

 

[The Prussian]

Just say'n...could be part of what happened up there. Often, situations arise from a confluence of various factors.

 

[Caveman]

While we're throwing out speculation, anyone know if their extended track took them near DTW? Maybe they were doing a Detroit turn later in the rotation, looked at the wrong line and entered the wrong destination during preflight. If the fms gave you the standard not enough fuel warning--"we haven't loaded the winds yet, that will change.". Miss a handoff somewhere, get distracted and bingo. Somewhere past MSP one of them picks up the rotation to talk about new scheduling policies and--hey where are we??

Who enters data from their rotation instead of from the release? Anybody that's ever graced the front seat of an airliner should be verifying the crew, tail number and city pair from the release before they do anything. Besides, it appears they loaded the destination correctly because after the last fix over MSP the autopilot reverted to HDG mode and held the last heading. I don't think what you suggest played any part in what actually happened.

 

[climb2slow]

Okay, but why didn't they answer their radio calls then?

And not just radio calls either, ACARS attempts were apparently sent as well. Perhaps, one left the flight deck, and a flight attendant replaced him....things happened that took awhile....and were distracting...and then they realized they had screwed up?

 

[Dumb Pilot]

maybe this guy speaks a little slow or is awesttruck by the camera, but he sounded like he'd been drinking or maybe just some marbles in his mouth.

Let's see you talking in front of a television camera with the philological pressure those guys must be under right now and see how articulate you are going to sound.

 

[gringo]

Perhaps in the future there will be a big red button you have to press every 5 minutes like in a locomotive. If you don't press it after 5 minutes the Locomotive turns off. Although this might not be very good in a plane.

There actually IS a locomotive like that, but last I heard it's only used in one place, in Australia. They've got a line there that's 478 km long, the longest dead-straight railway line in the world. The button has to be pressed every 5 minutes (to keep the engineer awake) and the train does indeed stop is its not pushed.

And yes, I agree, most likely NOT a good idea while flying around at .80 mach..

 

[aussieflyboy]

While we're throwing out speculation, anyone know if their extended track took them near DTW? Maybe they were doing a Detroit turn later in the rotation, looked at the wrong line and entered the wrong destination during preflight. If the fms gave you the standard not enough fuel warning--"we haven't loaded the winds yet, that will change.". Miss a handoff somewhere, get distracted and bingo. Somewhere past MSP one of them picks up the rotation to talk about new scheduling policies and--hey where are we??

Probably the next most likely theory... I'd still say, though, if we were giving out percentages of likeliness - sleeping = 98%, DTW theory = 1%, all other possible scenarios = 1%.

 

[Scope out RJ's]

Probably the next most likely theory... I'd still say, though, if we were giving out percentages of likeliness - sleeping = 98%, DTW theory = 1%, all other possible scenarios = 1%.

Aren't you late for your next cross country?

 

[Phrogs4ever]

Long layover in San Diego with a late show the next day...sounds like a recipe for a good night in the gas lamp district. I wonder what the credit card receipts from the night before would show. Any chance these are former Navy guys with some buds in the area? Also could make for a good night of drinking. I know if I don't get a good night of sleep even without drinking by the mid afternoon the next day my eyes are getting heavy.

 

[Crizz]

Just say'n...could be part of what happened up there. Often, situations arise from a confluence of various factors.

Could be. If they start filing airplanes to DTW via SKETR3 arrival to MSP thence 072 heading dead reckon 150 MI direct. I could see it.

 

[Captain X]

The plane heads back to Toulouse....

LMFAO!

If only Sully had been the Captain on this flight...

Then they could have landed WHILE they were asleep, or...um, in the midst of a heated discussion on airline policy.

 

[pilotchick]

LOL...10,000 lakes

Maybe scully was the captain and he was just looking for the right lake.

 

[pilotchick]

I know....I know

Before everyone starts giving me a spelling lesson. I know his name is sully.. it is just Scully sounds more like a ship captain.

 

[waveflyer]

This whole story falls under the 'who gives a f^ck' category. A distraction- that's it

 

[JoeMerchant]

This whole story falls under the 'who gives a f^ck' category. A distraction- that's it

Still feel that way?

 

[carl p]

Whenever a pilot is faced with a challenging situation, he/she should ask WWSD?

WHAT WOULD SULLY DO?

 

[bigbird]

They were sleeping!!

 

[lowtimedriver]

Go back to steam gauages and get rid of the FMS. That will keep everyone awake.

 

[satpak77]

I still don't know why they are making statements to media, etc. Where was their aviation lawyer at the NTSB interview, etc?

 

[Guppiedriver]

While we're throwing out speculation, anyone know if their extended track took them near DTW? Maybe they were doing a Detroit turn later in the rotation, looked at the wrong line and entered the wrong destination during preflight. If the fms gave you the standard not enough fuel warning--"we haven't loaded the winds yet, that will change.". Miss a handoff somewhere, get distracted and bingo. Somewhere past MSP one of them picks up the rotation to talk about new scheduling policies and--hey where are we??

I don't think this a plausible theory for a couple of reasons. First of all, you wouldn't fly over MSP enroute from SAN to DTW. Secondly, I am going to guess that Northwest uses data uplink. Uplink loads the departure and destination airports, enroute fixes (excluding sids, stars, and jet routes), and loads climb, cruise, and descent winds.

I think the David Letterman Top 10 Reasons are better than half of the theories on this board.

10. Bunch of fat guys seated on the right side of the plane made us vector east.
9. We get paid by the hour.
8. Mapquest always takes you the long way, am I right, people?
7. Tired of that show-off Sullenberger getting all the attention.
6. You try steering one of those airplanes after eight or nine cocktails.
5. Wanted to catch the end of the in-flight movie.
4. Activating autopilot and making occasional P.A. announcements is exhausting.
3. According to our map, we only missed our target by half an inch.
2. For a change, we decided to send luggage to the right city and lose the passengers.
1. Thought we saw balloon boy.

 

[rjpilot7667]

why is the rocket scientist FO giving media statements? Wouldnt ALPA Legal speed dial him and tell him to shut up?

Because in the Airline world FO's are part of the crew.

 

[satpak77]

Because in the Airline world FO's are part of the crew.

so the crew concept requires statements to CNN

gee, I first time I heard that

:laugh:

 

[GogglesPisano]

This just in ... Emergency revocation.