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SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2009
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 RUNAWAY PLANE 
12

Cockpit Recorder No Help in Northwest Flight Probe

Device captures just half an hour; record of 78-minute gap lost

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(Newser) – Because the aircraft has an old cockpit voice recorder, the world may never know why the pilots of Northwest Flight 188 lost contact with ground control for 78 minutes. The recorder on the Airbus A320 has a maximum memory of 30 minutes, after which it tapes over itself. So investigators can listen only to the last half-hour of the flight—after the pilots has re-established contact with air traffic controllers and gotten back on course.

Delta, owner of Northwest, has suspended the pilots pending multiple investigations, the Wall Street Journal reports. Meanwhile, Air National Guard F-16s in Wisconsin were ready to shoot the plane out of the sky on NORAD's orders. "As a force of last resort, NORAD is always prepared to do whatever is necessary," a rep for the defense agency tells ABC News.

The flight recorders from Northwest flight 188, are displayed at the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) headquarters in Washington, Friday.
The flight recorders from Northwest flight 188, are displayed at the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) headquarters in Washington, Friday.   (AP Photo/Kevin Wolf)
The Cockpit Voice Recorder from Northwest flight 188, is displayed at the NTSB headquarters in Washington, Friday, Oct. 23, 2009 in Washington.
The Cockpit Voice Recorder from Northwest flight 188, is displayed at the NTSB headquarters in Washington, Friday, Oct. 23, 2009 in Washington.   (AP Photo/Kevin Wolf)
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12 comments
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stacysaw
Oct 23, 09 3:38 PM CDT
the black box is actually orange. who'd a thunk it? :-) Reply
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bewilderbeast
Oct 24, 09 3:35 AM CDT
Hard to believe these people can't (don't want to????) upgrade their flight recorders? 30mins recording time!! Is this 70's technology? Isn't it tIme for a major expose of all that's wrong with air travel? If this IS cynical manipulation (as @cochiserocks below suggest) I hope this REALLY explodes in Northwest's face, BIG TIME.
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-1
schmidtkoff
Oct 23, 09 4:13 PM CDT
Ground control to major tom Ground control to major tom Take your protein pills and put your helmet on...This is ground control to major tom Youve really made the grade And the papers want to know whose shirts you wear Now its time to leave the capsule if you dare...This is major tom to ground control Im stepping through the door And Im floating in a most peculiar way And the stars look very different today Reply
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+2
cochiserocks
Oct 23, 09 4:25 PM CDT
Ok - let's work this out then....the pilots would have known that the black box ret-aped itself after 30 minutes right? - they overshot and added an extra 30 minutes flight time to the trip right? SO here's my theory - they were basically wiping the answer machine - someone admitted sleeping with the maintenance guys wife, maybe they made love and left the radio on - whatever - they basically had a 'what happens in fight club, stays in fight club' moment and did the most expensive 'delete' in history - Do I get a cookie? Reply
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+3
IN RESPONSE:
George_Taylor
Oct 23, 09 5:25 PM CDT
If you're right I will give you a whole batch of cookies.
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