Who takesWho takes responsibility at the MAC? At Northwest?

BY Ed Felien & Jim Spensley

Late last month the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) released a report on a serious accident that happened two years ago between two Northwest planes.

A captain of a DC-9 noticed a loss of hydraulic pressure as he was leaving Columbus for Minneapolis. He notified the airport and Northwest declared an emergency just before the plane landed. They cancelled the emergency as soon as the plane landed safely and started to taxi on its own. But the captain discovered he had no steering and no brakes. He thought he could stop by using his thrust-reversers. Instead, when he accelerated he ran into the Airbus. He pierced the skins of both aircraft and punctured the fuel tank of the Airbus. He could have been asphyxiated by the fumes, and he was hospitalized with severe respiratory problems.

Northwest declared the emergency over once the plane seemed to be working on its own. This was a mistake. They should have towed the plane to its gate. Knowing that the plane had lost hydraulic pressure, they should have remained alert to an accident. Instead, MAC sent the emergency crews off and re-opened the runway. This was hasty and dangerous.

What do we learn from this?

First, it does not serve the public interest to have to wait two years for an NTSB report on a serious accident. We deserve to know as soon as possible.
Second, it seems clear that Northwest and the MAC were more concerned about keeping things moving than about public safety. There should be a clear and public statement about procedures when a plane is damaged.
Finally, since 2003, Northwest has increased it traffic from 70 flights a day to 100. Later this summer the MAC is planning to close a runway for several weeks for construction. The public deserves assurances from Northwest and the MAC that public safety is their first concern.