UA Pilot spills coffee diverts to YYZ and media is dumb

[ogc]

Saw this yesterday about the plane diverting to YYZ, some more info came out today.

http://www.thestar.com/news/article/915 ... arson?bn=1

After reading that I took 20 seconds of my time to look up the CADOR, and sure enough it is confirmed in there.

Is the media really that stupid they can't take the time to find out how to confirm a story or not?

I imagine it wouldnt be too difficult to get pointed in the right direction to look up the CADOR themselves.

Anyways, I always wondered if this had ever happened before.

CADOR: 2011O0015

Narrative: The United Air Lines, Inc. Boeing 777-200 aircraft (operating as UAL940) was on a scheduled IFR flight from Chicago (O'Hare) International Airport, IL, USA (KORD) to Frankfurt International Airport, Germany (EDDF). The flight crew advised that they had communication problems and subsequently reported that they were experiencing navigation problems as well. The flight crew cycled through codes 7500 and 7600. With the help of their company dispatch staff, the flight crew was confirmed the problem to be a NAV/communication issue and not a valid code 7500. The flight crew initially diverted to return to Chicago (KORD) but subsequently declared an emergency, squawked code 7700 at 0231Z and diverted to Toronto (LBPIA) (CYYZ). ARFF services were notified and responded. The aircraft landed on runway 23 at 0253Z without incident. DND and CACO staff were advised. Ops. impact - unknown.

Narrative: UPDATE Supplemental information from the Federal Aviation Administration: TSOC staff reported that the United Air Lines, Inc. corporate office had indicated that the Pilot in Command had inadvertently squawked a 7500 code after spilling coffee on the aircraft's radio equipment, which interfered with the communications equipment. The aircraft was subsequently squawking code 7600. After trying to return to Chicago (KORD), the flight crew diverted to land at Toronto (LBPIA) (CYYZ) without incident.

[crazy_aviator]

I reallllllllly hope that the airline reimburse all pax for the loss due to this "pilot error " action!!!!

[Walker]

New item on the MEL

[loopa]

Watch them come out with a FAR stating that pilot's are not only not allowed to have peanuts in the flight deck, beverages are also prohibited. DOHHH!!!

How about that for pilot contract renegotiations LOL

[yyz monkey]

A/C was parked overnight at E14 and departed YYZ this morning just after 0000.

[ktcanuck]

Beverages are banned from many industrial situations for spillage impact reasons. Beats me how they can be allowed on a flight deck.

[Nark]

Beverages are banned from many industrial situations for spillage impact reasons. Beats me how they can be allowed on a flight deck.

I'm willing to bet, that the millions of flight hours without "spillage" negates the peepee slapping incident here.

I think it's best to dehydrate pilots too.

[Lost Lake]

News Flash!! The FAC has banned all crew from the flight deck on ALL aircraft pending an investigation. Thank god it wasn't a McDonalds coffee, it would have burned everything

[RenegadeAV8R]

All the devices on the Pedestal should be water/coffee/Coke/etc proof.

When I was working as a FBW Flight Controls Design Engineer, I remember my boss requesting the Spoiler Lever mechanism, of the business jet we were working on, to be tested for reliability will being sprayed with a mixture of Coke, coffee and 7up. And be tested again once the mixture was dry and gummy.

This is what is required (not a rule preventing us from drinking coffee while we are sitting in our office).

[Elliot Moose]

My response to this whole thing would be that the banning of coffee from the cockpit would constitute a safety of flight issue (it certainly would be for me) and as such, it is a more acceptable risk to have the possibility of a coffee spill than an incapacitated pilot.

[ktcanuck]

All the devices on the Pedestal should be water/coffee/Coke/etc proof.

When I was working as a FBW Flight Controls Design Engineer, I remember my boss requesting the Spoiler Lever mechanism, of the business jet we were working on, to be tested for reliability will being sprayed with a mixture of Coke, coffee and 7up. And be tested again once the mixture was dry and gummy.

This is what is required (not a rule preventing us from drinking coffee while we are sitting in our office).

Agreed. This is the alternative.

[trey kule]

Banning coffee and drinks from the flight deck is much more of a safety concern than allowing them. On the one hand we have the risk of spillage, and on the other hand, the risk of malnutrition. Unless the wages for FO's at the airlines increase substantially, I think the second risk is far more serious.

[all_ramped_up]

http://www.camelbak.com/sports-recreati ... -mens.aspx



some company issue camelbaks would do the trick! how about 2.1L of Coffee and the convenience of keeping you warm. might be good for those folks bombing around in Twotters up north. lol

['effin hippie]

KA200. IFR in climb.
F/O and I contrived to spill most of a cup of coffee into the control head of a pedestal-mounted AP.
After 10 seconds of mopping and wondering if that was going to cause problems, the A/C pitched up and rolled 30 deg.
The AP did not disengage so fully depress AP disconnect switch on yoke. AP disengages, A/C righted, no sweat.
When I release the AP disengage button on the yoke the AP immediately re-engages, pitches up and rolls.
Press button and hold. Search for AP CB and pull.

In the end the engineers had to put in a whole new control head.
Later I happily paid $40 bucks or so for a coffee mug with a screw-in plug type lid.

ef

[swordfish]

Watch them come out with a FAR stating that pilot's are not only not allowed to have peanuts in the flight deck, beverages are also prohibited. DOHHH!!!
How about that for pilot contract renegotiations LOL

Actually, I am strongly in favour of this position. I can't stand the smell of stale coffee, particularly in the cockpit...not to mention its persistence.

Where I work, we are continually changing out the keypads for the sat phones because of coffee infestation & corruption. My tolerance for coffee in the cockpit goes down the drain when I tap out our Ops phone number half way between Iqaluit & Arviat to find the green response light isn't tapping, and you have to try 15 times to get the error message: "The number you are dialing is not in service. Please check the number and try again....." GFL.

If you can't control your coffee, take it back in the cabin, .... eh!

[Northern Flyer]

http://www.camelbak.com/sports-recreati ... -mens.aspx



some company issue camelbaks would do the trick! how about 2.1L of Coffee and the convenience of keeping you warm. might be good for those folks bombing around in Twotters up north. lol

How fast would security have their way with you if they caught you wearing one of these.

[AuxBatOn]

Did they seriously have to squawk 7500 before squawking 7600 and then 7700?

[Beefitarian]

Dude couldn't remember the code for spilled beverage so he just started at the lowest numerical emergancy code that came to mind?

[bobcaygeon]

These work well, they autoseal, and clean very well in a dishwasher. I have had mine over a year now. After several expensive incidents, we now issue them to the crews when they start working for the company (We put their names on them).

The only learning curve for the crews is how to open them safely at altitude after a long climb (open it just like a yogurt cup, slow and facing away from your white shirt) but generally not an issue if you are sipping it regularily. It does take some practice determining how much you can drink and still make the next fuel/pit stop safely.

We found them for approx $10 each at Costco. Someone bought the first few as a joke after a $10,000 bill and smoke in the cockpit.

[IFRATC]

I was working on this particular night. The crew did NOT cycle through the 7500 code on purpose. The console was so fried that when they tried to cycle 7600 they couldn't. The radar returns interpreted it as a 7500. The crew were losing comms. quickly and avionics as well. At times radar returns were not coming back either.
They were not sure of there position as well. Frequently asking for guidance as they did not trust there instruments. They obviously landed heavy and without further incident. Job well done by the crew and i must say by YYZ ACC.

IFRATC

[skat0r]

this topic is just hilarious

specially the camelback