NYC-bound Virgin Air Flight 45 squawking Hijack code; being diverted to New Brunswick, Canada

ABC News | 6-3-5 | ABC News

[Petronski]

The pilot says the hijack code is an error and the plane is secure, but naturally the authorities are not trusting him.

[need_a_screen_name]

"What does the 'heavy' designation mean? I've heard this term before and have wondered what it meant."


To clarify a little, it means it is wide body jet. Along with the 747, it could be a 767, etc.

[kcvl]

You could probably even google for it.

I just did that very thing and you can find out anything you want to know.

[sharktrager]

Took about 10 seconds:

http://www.cakatct.jccbi.gov/Transponder.htm

[azhenfud]

That must be right - I recall ATC always saying "squawk xxx and ident".

[Nam Vet]

10 minutes until landing per Patti Ann Yum-Yum on FNC.

Nam Vet

[expatpat]

It's in a thousand handbooks.

[unixfox]

Canadian fighter jets looked at the plane and it looks normal.

What did they expect to see? The pilot popping wheelies?

[sissyjane]

According to FOX- it's one of the new airbusses. The Big One....

[Petronski]

Patti Ann Yum-Yum

Did Patti Ann Brown get married? Mr. Yum-Yum must be very happy!

[ml/nj]

Right...don't transponders just have basically an off/standby/on switch, and then the buttons or dials for the code, and then the "ident" button that causes your information to flash or light up for the controller, so he can confirm it?

That's how they worked when I was flying. Also I'm pretty sure that ATC doesn't assign codes like 7502 to anyone, so the chance of putting up one of the reserved codes, even for a couple of seconds, when switching to a newly assigned code is small. Normally these codes are not changed during a flight either, so there would be no reason for a plane to begin displaying 7500 instead of its assigned code.

ML/NJ

[MoodyBlu]

"Heavy" is used for any aircraft (I think) that has a max gross takeoff weight of 300,000 pounds or more--Boeing 747s, 767s and 777s, DC-8s, DC-10s and MD-11s, Airbus A330s and A340s. They would communicate to the controllers as "Virgin 45 heavy." I think it's mainly used for ATC communications as a way of reminding controllers, "Hey, I'm a big-arsed A340 over here, it probably wouldn't be a good idea to make me do a real sharp turn near the airport, or vector that little Cessna in two miles behind me because of the wake turbulence."

You are correct. Just think of it this way; if Michael Moore could get his fat-a$$ in a Cessna 152, we in ATC then would refer to the Cessna as a "heavy". It's all about wake turbulence.

MoodyBlu

[Mrs.Nooseman]

Praying that it is a false alarm and that the pilot some how screwed up,but by the way things sound it is not an accident!

FNC reporting that the plane should land in about 10 minutes at Halifax!

[Gunrunner2]

Yes, it is. No question.

First flight solo. . .first in-flight refueling solo. . .first night flight solo. . .first flight shooting THE GUN solo. . .first bomb-drop is solo. . .it's a heck of a ride from then on. . .

[theDentist]

I wasn't aware Canada had fighter jets. That flew anyway.

Yup. They're called Canadian Geese, and they make quite a mess on golf courses or around ponds. You gotta get a stick to clean your shoesies.

[ItsForTheChildren]

Took me 3 seconds.

(Took me longer to code the HTML.)

[Redbob]

"Thank God the French naval fighters happen to be sitting in NJ right now."

What, did they defect?
LOL!

[shhrubbery!]

What does the 'heavy' designation mean?

They're flying on Jerry Nadler.

OMG, your post conjured up such an image in my mind that I woke up the whole house laughing.

(And I hope this situation isn't series --ABC radio news reporting the plane is about to land now.)

[Petronski]

What, did they defect?

Wouldn't you?

[mystery-ak]

plane has landed..

[Restore]

I believe that all aircraft in this category are required to have TWO transponders ("squwakboxes"). If one is malfunctioning, pull the circuit breaker and use number two.