Incident | |
---|---|
Date | October 21, 2009 |
Summary | Pilot error and distraction |
Site | Minnesota |
Aircraft | |
Aircraft type | Airbus A320-212 |
Operator | Northwest Airlines |
Registration | N374NW |
Flight origin | San Diego International Airport |
Destination | Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport |
Occupants | 149 |
Passengers | 144 |
Crew | 5 |
Fatalities | 0 |
Injuries | 0 |
Survivors | 149 |
Northwest Airlines Flight 188 was a regularly scheduled flight from San Diego, California, to Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota, on October 21, 2009, which overshot its destination by more than 150 miles (240 km) because of pilot error. During the event, air traffic control lost contact with the flight for approximately 75 minutes. The flight later landed in Minneapolis/St Paul International Airport over an hour past its scheduled arrival.
As a result of the incident, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) revoked the pilot certificates of the involved pilots[1] and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) issued recommendations for changes to air traffic control procedures and the rules for cockpit crew.[2] The incident also caused American lawmakers to move to prevent pilots on U.S. airliners from using personal electronic devices while taxiing or flying.[3]