Posted on 10/26/2001 3:13:46 PM PDT by Int
Jet diverted to Manitoba
BRANDON, Man. (CP) -- An American executive jet was sitting on an airport tarmac surrounded by police Friday after being diverted from its Washington D.C., destination, authorities said.
John Christinsen, Brandon airport manager, said he was told by Winnipeg air traffic control the flight, which originated in Japan, was "squawking wrong" -- meaning there were unusual radio transmissions.
Witnesses said 10 to 12 RCMP and Brandon city police cars, including an emergency response team, had surrounded the plane. The doors of the aircraft were open but no one was visible.
Police said there were six passengers and four crew aboard. Their nationalities were unknown.
No one initially boarded or left the plane. Police were in radio contact, however.
The jet had previously landed in Anchorage, Alaska, for refuelling.
Oh wait, my meds haven't kicked in....
This has nothing to do with radio transmissions. "Squawking" in avation parlance means the digital coded reply from the aircrafts radar transponder. The pilot probably dialed in the wrong code. Done that myself a time or two. Really pisses of the air traffic controllers.
If the pilot accidentally dialed the wrong number or failed to call controlers when he entered US air space the jets would be scrambled and he would be diverted.
It is possible that he had a radio or electrical problem and could not call to get a number. In the old days if your mike or radios failed a pilot could fly to his destination and land using light signals.
I have not been able to pass a flight physical for 8 years, so I am not up on current regs.
But he was apparently squawking a wrong number or the controllers couldn't talk to him.
T'would be interesting if the "wrong code" the pilot dialed in was 7500, t'wouldn't it???
A private executive jet was forced down at an airport in Brandon, Man. Friday, after air authorities become confused by the signals the plane was sending.
The jet was registered to AOL Time Warner and was on its way to Washington, D.C. from Japan when the incident happened
The Brandon airport manager says an onboard electronic device jet that helps air traffic controllers track the plane was apparently sending out the wrong information.
John Christinsen, of the Brandon airport, said air traffic controllers decided to turn the plane away from U.S. airspace. American fighter jets escorted the plane down.
The jet was quickly surrounded by about a dozen police cars upon landing. Two passengers and four crew were escorted off with their hands up. Their nationalities were unknown.
Brandon RCMP say the passengers and crew were questioned and have been now cleared to leave.
Join the Royal Candian Airforce!
Sign up in any U.S.A.F. recruiting office today.
As a former 20 year air traffic controller myself, I can assure you that "squawking wrong," whatever that means, has nothing whatsoever to do with radio transmissions. He may have had 7500 selected on his transponder, which is definitely "squawking wrong." Code 7500 will attract a whole lot of attention from a whole lot of people, in a very short period of time.
Hijack-7500. Nordo-7600. Emergency-7700.
In return for carrying programming from China on its cable operations in Los Angeles, Houston and New York, AOL Time Warner has announced that it has permission to show some limited programming in China's Guangdon province through its recently-acquired China Entertainment Television network, based in Hong Kong. CETV will be included in a basic package of services offered to up to 7m cable subscribers in Hong Kong, although the Chinese government acknowledged that many people in China can receive television broadcasts from Hong Kong, despite bans on foreign broadcasts.
Abstracted from: The New York Times
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