I wonder if the in-flight movie was Fate is the Hunter:
Things are different when you are racing through the air six miles above the ground. Mundane mistakes can become disruptions for hundreds of people, creating news and likely even fodder for comedians.
And so it was for pilots of United Airlines Flight 940 on Monday night. One spilled coffee accidentally on the Boeing 777’s avionics while over Canada en route to Frankfurt from Chicago. When radios went goofy, a pilot put the “No Radio†code (7600) in the transponder but mistakenly entered 7500, which means hijacking or unlawful interference.
When that happens, there’s a lot more than crying over spilled coffee. A Transport Canada report said Canada’s defense department was notified, but that with the help of United’s dispatch staff the flight crew confirmed it to be a communication issue and not a hijacking.
The plane diverted to Toronto. A spokeswoman for Transport Canada told the Associated Press that in addition to communications problems, the plane also had some navigation problems.
The 1964 movie, based on a novel by Ernest Gann, follows the investigation of the crash of a commercial airliner which is ultimately determined to have been caused by spilling coffee into the avionics.
Don’t forget The Pepsi Syndrome.
Now why did you have to do that, Dave? I’ve got to fly back from Boston tonight.
Do I ask the pilot if he’s sporting a latte?