Posted on 01/06/2011 1:28:43 PM PST by justlurking
CHICAGO (Reuters) – Beware of spilling drinks while flying a plane.
During a United Airlines flight to Frankfurt, Germany from Chicago this week, a cockpit crew member spilled a beverage on equipment, an airline spokesman said. It prompted a chain of events that inadvertently sent an alert that the plane was being hijacked.
"During a period of light turbulence, a cockpit crew member's beverage spilled, causing issues with the airplane's communications equipment," said United spokesman Rahsaan Johnson.
The beverage caused a problem with one of the aircraft's radio systems, which prompted the pilot to decide to land the plane Monday evening rather than proceed overseas.
While the crew was adjusting the transponder to a frequency needed to alert air traffic control that the plane was having communication problems, the hijack alert was accidentally triggered.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
The transponder code for "lost communication" is 7600. The transponder code for "unlawful interference" is 7500.
From the very beginning of training, pilots are cautioned to avoid selecting one of these codes while dialing them into the transponder. The pilot should have set the first digit (to '7') last, rather than first -- so they didn't momentarily dial the second digit through '5' or '7' on the way to '6'. and squawk '7500'.
Not my fault.
Keyword says so.
The Pepsi Syndrome?
http://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/publications/atpubs/aim/Chap4/aim0401.html
When making routine code changes, pilots should avoid inadvertent selection of Codes 7500, 7600 or 7700 thereby causing momentary false alarms at automated ground facilities. For example, when switching from Code 2700 to Code 7200, switch first to 2200 then to 7200, NOT to 7700 and then 7200.
This procedure applies to nondiscrete Code 7500 and all discrete codes in the 7600 and 7700 series (i.e., 7600-7677, 7700-7777) which will trigger special indicators in automated facilities. Only nondiscrete Code 7500 will be decoded as the hijack code.
Sounds like one of the pilots has a drinking problem.
It never would have happened if the airline didn’t have a two drink minimum.
We know about your coffee.
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