Franken wants answers about airliner
U.S. Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., wants to now why a commercial airliner overshot Minneapolis-St. Paul by 150 miles earlier this week. Franken sent a letter today to Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood asking for an immediate investigation of the incident, as well as a review of the "Sterile Cockpit Rule."
Here's Franken's news release:
Today, U.S. Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) called on Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood to expedite his investigation into the incident involving Flight 1888, which stopped responding to air traffic control for 75 minutes and overshot its Minneapolis Airport destination by 150 miles.
"Minnesotans deserve to understand what went so terribly wrong," said Sen. Franken. "Yesterday's overshoot and the nine hour Rochester tarmac delay in August both highlight the critical need to revamp our national air traffic control system. This isn't the first time Minnesotans have been subject to gross negligence on the part of the airline industry - but it ought to be the last."
In August, a plane was stranded on the tarmac in Rochester overnight. The airport would not allow the passengers to deplane and they were stuck in their seats without access to food, water, or clean bathroom facilities.
In both the Minneapolis incident and the Rochester incident, the "sterile cockpit rule" may have contributed to the problem. Originally implemented to prevent pilots from engaging in idle chatter, the rule may now be preventing flight crews from communicating with the cockpit in urgent situations. In both instances, flight crews appeared more aware of the situation in the cabin than the pilots or airports.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is conducting an investigation into yesterday's overshoot and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is currently reviewing the rules governing how many hours commercial pilots may fly and remain on duty. In addition to the steps already being taken, Sen. Franken requests a review of the "sterile cockpit rule" and its implementation to improve communications between all parties involved in commercial flights.
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