[ACARS] US Air 522 - 6 Dec dog incident

[Joe Stepansky]

Some of you may have heard the story about the US Airways flight that
diverted due to a dog running amuck on the plane and biting two people.  I
checked my acarsd log and found three messages describing the situation.
The plane was most likely about 250 miles from my home, but with my 2 meter
vertical antenna up 70 feet, and the plane up 30,000+ feet, it hears pretty
well.

 

The story:

 

A US Airways <http://www.usairways.com>  flight headed from Newark to
Phoenix made an emergency landing in Pittsburgh after a small dog onboard
bit a passenger and a flight attendant. 

US Airways spokesman Todd Lehmacher tells The
<http://voices.washingtonpost.com/dr-gridlock/2010/12/dog_bites_2_on_airplan
e.html>  Associated Press a passenger on Flight 522 brought the dog on the
plane in a pet carrier and let the animal loose during the flight.

After the dog bit two people, the pilot decided to land the plane as soon as
possible, to make sure "everyone was okay," Lehmacher says. How bad the
bites were was not known.

The airline allows small dogs onboard in approved pet carriers that are
supposed to be kept -- with the dog inside -- under passenger seats.

In this case, the dog owner opened the cage having been told not to, a US
Airways spokeswoman tells Reuters <http://www.cnbc.com/id/40533032> . It was
unclear whether charges would be filed against the dog owner.

The breed of the dog was not immediately known.

 

What I received:

 

ACARS mode: 2 Aircraft reg: .N838AW

Message label: 5Z Block id: 9 Msg. no: M11A

Flight id: US0522

Message content:-

/TXT 

 

HAVE A PAX TRAVELING WITH DOG. AGAINST CREW INSTRUCTIONS SHE LET THE DOG
OUT. DOG BIT F/A AND ANOTHE PAX. PAX IS BLEEDING. DOG CARRIER NOW DAMAGED
AND CANNOT

-----------------------------------------------------------[06/12/2010
07:24]

 

ACARS mode: 2 Aircraft reg: .N838AW

Message label: 5Z Block id: 0 Msg. no: M12A

Flight id: US0522

Message content:-

/TXT 

 

BE ASSURED IT CAN CONTAIN DOG. ... I SUGGEST WEDIVERT TO SECURE DOG. STILL
CHECKING ON PAX CONDITION.

-----------------------------------------------------------[06/12/2010
07:26]

 

ACARS mode: 2 Aircraft reg: .N838AW

Message label: 5Z Block id: 2 Msg. no: M13A

Flight id: US0522

Message content:-

/TXT 

 

PRETTY DEEP CUT ON PAX

-----------------------------------------------------------[06/12/2010
07:27]