First Air pilots fired after flight went off course
Airline says standard operating procedures not followed
Daniel Campbell
Northern News Services
Updated: Monday, April 14, 2014
NUNAVUT
Two pilots of a First Air passenger flight from Rankin Inlet to Iqaluit March 31 were fired April 10 after an investigation found they failed to follow standard operating procedures.
A First Air 737-200 jet went off course by hundreds of kilometres on a flight from Rankin Inlet to Iqaluit on March 31. Two pilots have been fired following an investigation by the company. - NNSL file photo |
Flight 955 with 23 people on board deviated off course by hundreds of kilometres after leaving Rankin Inlet at 3:20 p.m. March 31.
The airline said it investigated the incident, finding through interviews that the pilots failed to follow "standard operating procedures designed to eliminate navigational errors," according to a news release from the company.
Kevin Kablutsiak, spokesperson for the airline, refused to say exactly what procedures were not followed.
According to a Transport Canada report, radar picked up the Boeing 737-200 cruising at 33,000 feet about 256 km off of its planned course during the afternoon of March 31.
After air traffic controllers in Montreal failed to make contact with the flight crew, another flight radioed Flight 955 to tell the pilots that air traffic control was trying to make contact. The flight crew contacted air traffic control at 4:37 p.m. and turned the aircraft to a southbound heading from eastbound. At that time the aircraft was about 416 km northwest of Iqaluit.
The flight landed safely in Iqaluit at 5:12 p.m., March 31
First Air said it has taken this incident "very seriously," adding it has reviewed the flight data, navigational aids on the plane, conducted interviews with the pilots and received reports from the cabin crew who were on board.
The airline said there was no immediate threat to passenger safety.
The aftermath of the investigation has seen First Air reinforce procedures with crews and dispatch staff, and increase monitoring of flights, the company said.
First Air added it will share the results of its investigation with the Transportation Safety Board.
Kablutsiak would not say how long the pilots had worked at the airline or provide any further details.
