ACARS

[DairyCreamer]

In light of the NWA flight screwing the pooch by overflying MSP, I was curious.

Given that it's fairly common to lose someone for a sector or two, we're pretty used to dialing up your company dispatch ATC coordinator to send you a message telling you what freq to be on.

I assume this either comes from ACARS or your company in-flight SELCAL-type system. Do either make a tone in the cockpit if a message is received?

~Nate

PS - God I want fam flights... sick of this FAA/airline bureaucratic crap.

 

[marklar84]

I can tell you CRJs do make a VERY loud "SELCAL...SELCAL" aural alert everytime you get a message through ACARS. I dont know about the bus. I would assume it sends some type of alert. They were also supposed to be listening to 121.50 in Comm 2. Its a policy at every airline and I think even an FAR. Even had they moved outside that sectors freq, they would have been contacted on 121.5. I'd bet my life savings ATC was makinig calls on that freq every 3 minutes to Northwest (Delta).

Had they even scanned the instruments every FIFTEEN minutes they would have said; "Hey! We're 50 miles from MSP and still at FL370. Lets ask for lower....oh wait, we're not even in contact!!"

 

[wiscoacey]

On the 737/757/767 it's just a tone similar to when you receive a text message on your cell phone. Don't know about the airbus but unless it's like to SELCAL SELCAL! on the crj, I can see how it could be overlooked.

 

[caboarder2001]

.

Had they even scanned the instruments every FIFTEEN minutes they would have said; "Hey! We're 50 miles from MSP and still at FL370. Lets ask for lower....oh wait, we're not even in contact!!"

Thats pretty hard to do when your asleep

 

[pilot_man]

They were also supposed to be listening to 121.50 in Comm 2. Its a policy at every airline and I think even an FAR.
"

Not all airlines have that policy btw, our companies policy is to listen in on company freqs on comm 2.