ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 69367
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| Date: | Wednesday 21 October 2009 |
| Time: | 17:56 |
| Type: |  Airbus A320-212 |
| Owner/operator: | Northwest Airlines |
| Registration: | N374NW |
| MSN: | 1646 |
| Year of manufacture: | 2001 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 23685 hours |
| Engine model: | CFMI CFM56-5A3 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 149 |
| Aircraft damage: | None |
| Category: | Incident |
| Location: | near Minneapolis, MN -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Passenger - Scheduled |
| Departure airport: | San Diego International Airport, CA (SAN/KSAN) |
| Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport (MSP), MN | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
Northwest Airlines flight 188, an Airbus A320, N374NW, did not communicate with air traffic control (ATC) for approximately 1 hour 17 minutes. While the flight was NORDO (no radio communications), it flew past its intended destination at cruise altitude of 37,000 feet but landed without further incident after radio communication was reestablished. There were no injuries to the 2 pilots, 3 flight attendants, and 144 passengers onboard.
The airplane departed San Diego International Airport, CA (SAN) about 16:59 central daylight time.
The flight progressed normally until about 18:56:41, when the Denver Center controller wanted to transfer the flight to the next sector and radioed, “...one eighty eight contact Denver center, one three two point one seven.”
At 18:56:56, the controller again directed NWA188 to “contact Denver center, one three two point one seven.”
At 18:57:01, NWA188 responded, “okay three two one seven, northwest one eighty eight.” This was the last ATC communication from NWA188 while in Denver center airspace.
NWA188 entered the next Denver sector’s airspace but did not check in on the assigned frequency. The controller of this sector at 19:05:31, directed NWA188 to “contact Denver center” on frequency 127.02, the radio frequency for the fourth Denver sector. Twentyone seconds later, the controller again directed NWA188 to change frequency.
NWA188 entered the fourth Denver sector’s airspace and did not check in on the assigned frequency. The flight continued without radio contact and subsequently entered the fifth Denver sector’s airspace.
About 1924:16, the fifth Denver controller completed an AIT to Minneapolis ARTCC and directed NWA188 to “contact Minneapolis center” on frequency 124.87. Nine seconds later, the controller repeated the request for a frequency change.
At 1924:32, the fifth Denver controller called NWA188 for a radio check and received no response.
The fifth Denver controller then called the first Minneapolis controller , to inquire if NWA188 had checked in. The Denver controller was advised that the flight crew had not checked in on the assigned frequency. The Denver controller then told the Minneapolis controller that he would “go find him.”
At 1924:55, the fifth Denver controller called the fourth Denver controller and asked that controller to try to contact NWA188.
At 1925:14, the fourth Denver controller made a single radio transmission to NWA188, asking the flight crew to contact Denver ARTCC on frequency 126.32. At 1926:07, the fifth Denver controller contacted the Denver area 5 front line manager (FLM) and requested that the manager contact NWA company dispatch, ask them to contact
NWA188, and direct the NWA188 pilots to contact Minneapolis center on frequency 124.87. The fifth Denver controller then advised the first Minneapolis controller that Denver ARTCC was contacting NWA dispatch and that NWA188 should be back on the frequency in a few minutes.
At 1930:36 and 1936:42, the first Minneapolis controller attempted to contact NWA188.
About 1932 and 1934, NWA dispatch sent NWA188 aircraft communication addressing and reporting system (ACARS) messages requesting that the flight contact ARTCC.
At 1938:15, the first Minneapolis controller advised the next Minneapolis controller that NWA188 was NORDO and executed an AIT. The first Minneapolis controller then directed NWA188 to “contact Minneapolis center” on frequency 119.87.
At 1939:45, the second Minneapolis controller attempted to contact NWA188.
At 1939:55, the second Minneapolis controller asked another NWA aircraft, NWA196, to attempt to contact NWA188 on that sector’s frequency of 119.87.
At 1942:11, NWA196 advised ATC that they had also requested that NWA dispatch ask NWA188 to come up on frequency 119.87.
About 1944, two ACARS messages were sent to NWA188 from NWA dispatch requesting that the pilots contact ARTCC.
At 1946:56, the second Minneapolis controller attempted to contact NWA188.
At 1948:17, the second Minneapolis controller radioed, “northwest one eighty eight uh if you hear Minneapolis center ident.” No ident was observed. At 1951:56, the controller again attempted to contact NWA188.
In between the transmissions to NWA188, the second Minneapolis controller coordinated with controllers from other sectors to advise that NWA188 was NORDO and scheduled to land at MSP. The third Minneapolis controller advised the second controller that he would attempt to contact NWA188 on frequency 121.5.
At 1956:40, the third Minneapolis controller transmitted on 121.5 MHz for NWA188, “contact Minneapolis center” on frequency 119.87.
About 1957, another ACARS message was sent to NWA188 from NWA dispatch.
FDR data indicate that, about 2001, the flight mode annunciator (FMA) on the pilots’ primary flight display (PFD) reverted from navigation mode to heading mode.
At 2003:02, the second Minneapolis controller coordinated with and transferred control of NWA188 to the fourth controller.
About 2007, 2008, and 2011, ACARS messages were sent to NWA188 from NWA dispatch.
At 2007:41 and 2012:47, the fourth Minneapolis controller attempted to contact NWA188.
At 2012:46, NWA188 transmitted on frequency 132.125 and advised that they had overflown their destination and needed to turn around and head for Minneapolis. Although the pilots did not know it at the time, the frequency they used was for Winnipeg Area Control Center (YWG), Thunder Bay Low Sector. After establishing NWA188’s position over Eau Claire, Wisconsin, at FL370, the YWG controller advised NWA188 that it was on the wrong frequency and directed the pilots to contact Minneapolis center on frequency 123.72.
At 2013:02, the fifth Minneapolis controller requested another NWA airplane to attempt to contact NWA188 on frequency 126.23.
At 2014:06, NWA188 established communications with the fifth Minneapolis controller on frequency 123.72.
At 2014:14, NWA188 radioed, “roger, we got distracted and we’ve overflown Minneapolis.
We’re overhead Eau Claire and would like to make a one eighty and do arrival from Eau Claire.”
NWA188 was then given radar vectors to begin arrival into MSP. During the descent, Minneapolis ARTCC controllers queried NWA188 several times concerning the cause of the NORDO. Each time, the pilots indicated that they had “cockpit distractions.”
Probable Cause and Findings
The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this incident to be: The flight crew's failure to monitor the airplane’s radio and instruments and the progress of the flight after becoming distracted by conversations and activities unrelated to the operation of the flight.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB125623517851801783?mod=WSJ_hps_LEFTWhatsNews
http://edition.cnn.com/2010/TRAVEL/03/15/wayward.pilots.licenses/index.html
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 22-Oct-2009 20:59 | jorgetadeu7 | Added |
| 23-Oct-2009 11:51 | Anon. | Updated |
| 23-Oct-2009 11:56 | harro | Updated |
| 24-Oct-2009 11:10 | ruthyruth | Updated |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:25 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
| 28-Jun-2021 16:57 | xrecovery9 | Updated [Narrative] |
| 28-Jun-2021 17:22 | Anon. | Updated [Source] |
| 19-Aug-2022 08:36 | harro | Updated [Total occupants, Departure airport, Narrative, Accident report] |
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