Snappy newsletters. Simple Facebook sharing. Spirited comments. Sweet features are waiting… GET THEM NOW!

Hot on Facebook

Uproar After NC State Agent 'Fixes' Girl's Lunch Preschooler has to eat chicken nuggets instead of mom's meal »

Northwest Pilot: We Weren't Sleeping

But he won't offer more details on why they overshot airport

By John Johnson, Newser Staff

Posted Oct 24, 2009 9:55 AM CDT

(Newser) – One of the pilots of the infamous Northwest flight that missed the airport says neither he nor his co-pilot were napping. "I can assure you none of us was asleep," says Richard Cole, who gave separate interviews to ABC and the AP. "It was not a serious event, from a safety issue." So what gives? We may not know until federal investigators finish their inquiry, which will be next week at the earliest.

"I can tell you that airplanes lose contact with the ground people all the time," Cole adds. "It happens. Sometimes they get together right away; sometimes it takes awhile before one or the other notices that they are not in contact." Of the intense publicity he's now under, Cole says, "I am not doing very good."

[Images (2)]

[Quotes (1)]

The Cockpit Voice Recorder from Northwest flight 188. (AP Photo/Kevin Wolf)

A Northwest Airlines jet taxis at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport Friday, Oct. 23, 2009. (AP Photo/Jim Mone)

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

We were not asleep; we were not having an argument; we were not having a fight. - First Officer Richard Cole

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

To report an error on this story, notify our editors.

More Newser Stories

Detroit Bomber Bought Return Ticket

Nothing about ticket would have raised red flag

(NEWSER) - Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab's intention may have been to gain a one-way ticket to paradise by blowing up a Northwest Airlines flight, but the terror suspect purchased a return ticket, congressional aides were told yesterday. It had been widely reported that Abdulmutallab had bought a one-way ticket, something experts said should have raised red flags with airport security, the Los Angeles Times reports. More»

Co-Pilot Blames Captain for Missing Airport

Airmen fight to get back their licenses

(NEWSER) - The battle between the two Northwest Airlines pilots who overshot their airport by over an hour is getting ugly. Co-pilot Richard Cole is insisting captain Tim Cheney is primarily responsible for the blunder. Cole says he deserves less punishment because a co-pilot should be able to trust the captain. The pilots have filed separate legal appeals to have their pilot’s licenses reinstated. More»

Northwest Pilots Clammed Up After Overshooting Airport

FAA transcript shows pair blaming silence on 'cockpit distractions'

(NEWSER) - Air traffic controllers who sought an explanation from the pilots of the "runaway plane," which overshot the Minneapolis airport by about 100 miles last month, got little satisfaction. After being out of radio contact for over an hour, controllers asked the crew of Northwest Flight 188 for a "brief explanation" of their radio silence, according to transcripts the FAA released today. "Ah [just] cockpit distractions, that's all I can say," one of the pilots responded. More»

FAA Admits Flubs on Wandering Northwest Flight

Miscommunication marked regulator's response to stray airliner

(NEWSER) - The FAA should have taken more decisive action on the Northwest Airlines flight that fell out of communication with ground control for 77 minutes last month, officials acknowledged today. While the plane was out of contact, air-traffic controllers changed shifts and failed to warn their replacements about the runaway plane. “We could have done better,” said FAA administrator Randy Babbitt. More»

Northwest Pilots Were Working on Laptops: NTSB

Captain, first officer deny falling asleep in cockpit

(NEWSER) - The pilots of the Northwest flight that wandered 150 miles past its destination were working on their personal laptops in the cockpit, a violation of company policy. The two denied falling asleep and could hear the radio when they fell out of communication with ground personnel, they told NTSB investigators yesterday. The flight attendants on the runaway plane are being interviewed today, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports. More»

NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS

What is Newser?

Face it: there's too much news. At Newser, we choose the most thought-provoking and entertaining stories from hundreds of US and international sources and reduce them to a headline, picture, and two paragraphs. And we do it 24/7—you can come back morning, noon, night (and in between) for something new that matters. Read less, know more.

Learn more »

Partnering with: Slate

View Newser on the mobile website

Northwest Pilot: We Weren't Sleeping