Jet overshoots Minn. airport by 150 miles
MINNEAPOLIS - Federal officials said yesterday that they were investigating whether pilot fatigue was a factor when a
The plane landed safely Wednesday evening, and none of the passengers or crew was hurt, the National Transportation Safety Board said.
Northwest’s parent, Delta Airlines Inc., said the jet carried 144 passengers and five crew members.
The NTSB said Northwest Flight 188, an Airbus A320, was flying from San Diego to Minneapolis and lost radio contact with controllers just before 7 p.m. when it was at 37,000 feet. The jet flew over the airport just before 8 and overshot it by 150 miles before communications were reestablished at 8:14, the NTSB’s statement said.
The Federal Aviation Administration said the crew told authorities they became distracted during a heated discussion over airline policy and lost track of where they were.
But Keith Holloway, NTSB spokesman, said the agency will also look into whether fatigue played a role in the incident.
“We will look into fatigue issues,’’ Holloway said. “We don’t know’’ whether the crew fell asleep, he said, calling that “speculative.’’
Holloway said NTSB investigators as of yesterday afternoon had not yet examined the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder, which were being sent to the NTSB lab in Washington for analysis. He said the agency was also seeking to interview the pilots, but hadn’t yet scheduled a meeting.
Anthony Black, Delta spokesman, said the two pilots have been suspended from flying while the airline conducts an internal investigation. He refused to name them or give further details on their background or what happened in the air.
“We’re in cooperation with the FAA and NTSB on the investigation,’’ Black said.
