NWA Pilots will fly again (?)

[flyincanuck]

Looks like a little more time off...

http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2010/04/13/pi ... aa-settle/

A hearing to be held Tuesday in the case of two Northwest pilots who overshot their destination last year was cancelled because the Federal Aviation Administration and the pilots reached a settlement last month.

The settlement, signed March 24, stipulates that the pilots would drop their license revocation appeal, but allows them to apply for new airman certificates in August.

On October 21, 2009, Capt. Timothy B. Cheney and First Officer Richard I. Cole flew their jet past their destination city of Minneapolis, Minnesota. They told investigators they used personal laptop computers during the flight, in violation of company policy, and lost track of time.

They became aware of their plane's position only after a flight attendant asked about the landing time.

[IBPilot]

Looks like a little more time off...

http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2010/04/13/pi ... aa-settle/

A hearing to be held Tuesday in the case of two Northwest pilots who overshot their destination last year was cancelled because the Federal Aviation Administration and the pilots reached a settlement last month.

The settlement, signed March 24, stipulates that the pilots would drop their license revocation appeal, but allows them to apply for new airman certificates in August.

On October 21, 2009, Capt. Timothy B. Cheney and First Officer Richard I. Cole flew their jet past their destination city of Minneapolis, Minnesota. They told investigators they used personal laptop computers during the flight, in violation of company policy, and lost track of time.

They became aware of their plane's position only after a flight attendant asked about the landing time.

Even till this day, I am still confused as to how they could have flown past their destination without talking to ATC. I have no knowledge on the flight management systems on these jets but correct me if I'm wrong--- I thought these systems fly the airplane to the destination and if autopilot is not disengaged, the plane will circle the destination until it's told to do otherwise???


In regards to their jobs, all I'm gonna say is "shame on them"!!!

[flyinhigh]

320 I have no idea, on the RJ it will take your heading you are on and keep you on that heading until you upload the approach.

[Dust Devil]

Even till this day, I am still confused as to how they could have flown past their destination without talking to ATC. I have no knowledge on the flight management systems on these jets but correct me if I'm wrong--- I thought these systems fly the airplane to the destination and if autopilot is not disengaged, the plane will circle the destination until it's told to do otherwise???

I would hope it wouldn't do that in case a crew is disabled as what happened to I think it was a Learjet a few years back. You would have an aircraft circling a populated area till it ran out of fuel and crash into a populated area. Better to have it keep on going and hoping it ends up in an ocean or crashing into a sparsely populated area.

[Bede]

Even till this day, I am still confused as to how they could have flown past their destination without talking to ATC. I have no knowledge on the flight management systems on these jets but correct me if I'm wrong--- I thought these systems fly the airplane to the destination and if autopilot is not disengaged, the plane will circle the destination until it's told to do otherwise???

They never went passed their destination, only well past their Top of Decent. The extra 150 miles or whatever was ATC vectoring until ATC could determine there was no security threat.

[Tim]

They never went passed their destination, only well past their Top of Decent. The extra 150 miles or whatever was ATC vectoring until ATC could determine there was no security threat.

they didn't realize where they were until 5 min before landing. i gotta think that if they were at cruise for all that time they would have gone a lot farther than if they were desceneding and setting up for an appch. also the track of the aircraft from flight aware sugggests they went on for a ways before getting a vector to turn.

[Bede]

they didn't realize where they were until 5 min before landing. i gotta think that if they were at cruise for all that time they would have gone a lot farther than if they were desceneding and setting up for an appch. also the track of the aircraft from flight aware sugggests they went on for a ways before getting a vector to turn.

5 minutes before their proposed landing or 5 minutes before they actually landed? If it's 5 prior to proposed landing than they were prior to their destination, but past TOD. I don't see how it could be 5 minutes before they actually landed: did they fly a 150 miles, realized they were too far, turned around, set up an approach and landed all in 5 minutes?

[IBPilot]

Maybe my source of information is skewed but I thought that they flew past their destination and never spoke to ATC the whole time. How could they be vectored on the appraoch if there was no communication between the NWT Pilots and MSP ATC??

[Pratt]

They were vectored after they re-established comm with ATC.