PCL crew diverts to GRR -carbon monoxide

ljg

ljg

Well-Known Member
Anyone have any more information on this?


http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2009/12/northwest_airlink_flight_diver.html

Live ATC has the conversation recorded as well
http://www.liveatc.net/recordings.php
Sounds like the crew handled things professionally.


CASCADE TOWNSHIP -- A Northwest Airlink flight from Minneapolis to Cleveland got diverted to Gerald R. Ford International Airport on Wednesday evening after the aircraft's pilots reported being faint. Northwest Airlines Flight 3947 was en route from Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport to Cleveland's Hopkins International Airport when the aircraft's captain and co-pilot reported "feeling a little light-headed," said Joe Williams, a spokesman for Pinnacle Airlines Corp., which operates the flight for Northwest.
That caused the 47-passenger CRJ200 to land at Ford Airport at 6:23 p.m., he said.
Airport emergency crews and emergency medical personnel tended to the matter, with traces of carbon monoxide found in the cockpit, airport spokesman Bruce Schedlbauer said.
The captain and co-pilot were treated at the scene. None of the 47 passengers nor the flight attendant were treated, Williams said.
The passengers were given the option to take other connections, and some opted to stay in Grand Rapids overnight and fly out Thursday, he said.
The flight departed Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport about a half hour late at 3:50 p.m. CST with a delay caused by non-scheduled maintenance, according to Northwest Airlines' Web site.
Memphis, Tenn.-based Pinnacle Airlines operates flights in and out of Ford Airport through its Northwest Airlink service, which is affiliated with Northwest Airlines.
Pinnacle also does business as Delta Connection in partnership with Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines, which acquired Minnesota-based Northwest last year.
The CRJ200 is built by Montreal-based Bombardier Inc.
 
I'm glad they caught it in time.

I'd thunk that once you were out of piston pounders with heat dwrawn from the muffler that the days of CO in an airplane would be over.
 
Codyjp said:
jet guys:

What would be the likely suspect causing carbon dioxide to get into the cockpit of an RJ?
Click to expand...

It was CO (carbon monoxide). Very few things I can think of in the CRJ that could possibly dump CO into the cockpit...extremely deadly! Had to be some sort of a pack malfunction or some weird leak.

Excellent job by the crew...
 
PeanuckleCRJ said:
It was CO (carbon monoxide). Very few things I can think of in the CRJ that could possibly dump CO into the cockpit...extremely deadly! Had to be some sort of a pack malfunction or some weird leak.

Excellent job by the crew...
Click to expand...

dioxide... monoxide... Nearly the same really right? ;)
:sarcasm:
 
PGT said:
I seriously refuse to read news article comments, it just makes me mad at the level of ignorance and stupidity.
Click to expand...
x2. I'm afraid I'll destroy a computer in anger if I read them.
 
To get back on track though - what would be a likely culprit for the CO in the cockpit of an RJ (or any jet for that matter)? I was also under the impression that once you got out of recips with the various heaters, you also were out of the CO risk.
 
WacoFan said:
To get back on track though - what would be a likely culprit for the CO in the cockpit of an RJ (or any jet for that matter)? I was also under the impression that once you got out of recips with the various heaters, you also were out of the CO risk.
Click to expand...

I love the Janitrol.
 
I swear the Janitrol they put in a Seminole could heat a small airliner. I never could turn the thing on and leave it. Had to cycle it on and off to keep from burning up..
 
WacoFan said:
To get back on track though - what would be a likely culprit for the CO in the cockpit of an RJ (or any jet for that matter)? I was also under the impression that once you got out of recips with the various heaters, you also were out of the CO risk.
Click to expand...

Itchy said:
Insulation burning maybe? Didn't come from the engines.
Maybe some hazmat in freight?
Click to expand...

I've been noodling on where the CO could have come from too. The flight deck has its own dedicated plumbing and everything gets vented out through the cargo compartment, so it is unlikely anything from the passenger compartment or cargo area would flow up front.

If something were burning and producing enough CO to affect the pilots, I would have expected accompanying smoke or odor (which may not have been reported).

The best guess I can think of now is that a significant amount of engine or APU exhaust was being ingested by a compressor section while the aircraft was on the ground (or the ground air supply gassed them) ... or they flew through a really big, rogue cloud of carbon monoxide during departure.

Or, the trace amount of CO detected after landing is a red herring. :)
 
wjmiller3 said:
I swear the Janitrol they put in a Seminole could heat a small airliner. I never could turn the thing on and leave it. Had to cycle it on and off to keep from burning up..
Click to expand...


When I was training, my instructor and I never shut it off out of fear of it not starting again. :D There were more than a few mighty chilly nights flying to SAC and VGT in January. haha
 
My guess, and this is only a guess, is something to do with one of the PACKs. Likely, the L PACK since it mainly affected the flight deck.
 
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