Passenger Recounts Minneapolis Over-Fly

MINNEAPOLIS - Pilots on a flight from San Diego to Minneapolis told investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board they were in the middle of a heated discussion and got distracted -- that's why they flew right by MSP Airport and didn't turn around for 150 miles .

Sitting in the sixth row of Northwest Airlines Flight 188, Amy Kieffer thought her flight was running late -- then came a strange announcement from the cockpit.

"A couple of people I overheard said I thought we were landing at 8 or 8:15," Kieffer said. "That was where it was a little bit different. The captain came on and said after some back and forth bickering, we should be landing in 15 to 20 minutes."

When NWA Flight 188 finally landed at Twin Cities International , an hour and 15 minutes late, the 144 passengers onboard realized it was too late.

"Two minutes later (we were) asked to take our seats again,": Kieffer said. "We noticed there was security at the front of the plane."

Airport police at the FBI were waiting. According to federal investigators, the crew "stated they were in a heated discussion over airline policy and they lost situational awareness."

A flight log on FlightAware.com shows how the plane overshot the Minneapolis airport by 150 miles at 7:58 p.m. CDT before circling back over Wisconsin.

For more than an hour, the control tower at MSP was unable to reach the crew, who were arguing on autopilot at 37,000 feet. The military had four fighter jets at two bases ready to scramble before the MSP air traffic controller reestablished communications with the crew at 8:14 p.m.

What policy issue the crew was arguing over is unknown, but pilot seniority has been a heated issue during the Delta-Northwest merger. In a statement, Delta Airlines said the pilots have been grounded.

The safety of our passengers and crew is our top priority," Delta said. "We are cooperating with the FAA and NTSB in their investigation as well as conducting our own internal investigation. The pilots have been relieved from active flying pending the completion of these investigations."

Amy Kieffer said she's over being angry and simply grateful to be home.

"It is a good story to tell," she said. "Usually it's so uneventful."

The NTSB is looking into whether pilot fatigue may have been a factor. Federal investigators have also recovered the flight data and voice recorder, which were sent to Washington.