HNL landing missile attack

[brien23]

Were the airliners landing HNL advised of the missile attack and if so what do you do in the next few minutes, if you are only a few minutes out.

 

[Ravioli]

Interesting... what is your filed alternate on a flight from DFW to HNL?

 

[brien23]

Do you tell the passengers or do they already know about the missile attack.

 

[kyleb]

Pilot: "Cabin attendants, please prepare the cabin for landing and possible thermonuclear detonation."

Pilot: "We are third in sequence to land at our destination. The weather is currently 80F and partially cloudy in Oahu, with a forecast of severe wind gusts, thermonuclear heat, plus radiation. Thank you for choosing to fly Delta."

 

[Radar Contact]

Interesting... what is your filed alternate on a flight from DFW to HNL?

HNL will routinely use Hilo for an alternate. SFO is used sometimes but rarely due to the for every 3 gallons extra you carry you burn 1 extra gallon to carry it logic.

 

[frfly172]

So what would be the alternate?

 

[Radar Contact]

So what would be the alternate?

My understanding is that they don't plan flights with the idea that the destination and alternate will be wiped off the face of the earth (rightly so in my opinion). If that happens then it's up to the PIC to do what they can.

 

[Velocity173]

I doubt ATC advised them of an unsubstantiated attack.

 

[mscard88]

Interesting... what is your filed alternate on a flight from DFW to HNL?

USS Nimitz

 

[Everskyward]

There are a number of airports in Hawaii that serve airliners; not just HNL. I recently flew OGG (Kahului, Maui) to California

 

[SkyHog]

There are a number of airports in Hawaii that serve airliners; not just HNL. I recently flew OGG (Kahului, Maui) to California

But I'm not sure that POGG is a suitable alternate for a missile attack on Hawaii with an unknown target destination.

 

[woodchucker]

If NK targeted Honolulu in an actual missile attack I imagine landing at HNL would be the safest of all available options.

 

[Matthew K]

A friend of mine has a family member that's an ATC guy over there, he posted this to his FB page. Kinda makes you sit back and think.

"8:07am I was plugged in working airplanes like I do every Saturday morning, when the day took a turn into the surreal. Pilot after pilot started to check in with the same question. "Center, can you confirm the missle launch?" Then, as questions on the control floor were asked, it seemed like every phone in the room started ringing. The word "confirmed" stung like a knife in the gut. As I started to advise the pilots on frequency that the missle launch is confirmed, the frequencies grew silent.

As I did the only thing I could, continue to take care of the planes in my charge, all I could do was think about the ones I love, my loving wife and amazing kids. With less then 10 minutes there was nothing I could do.

We found out rather quickly that it was a false alarm, but it seemed like forever.
With my heart racing and my stomach in my throat, this is what was in my mind. Every day, for the last 29 years, when I leave home for work I hug ****, kiss her and tell her I love her. It may sound silly and trite, but today, for 10 long minutes, it mattered.

Don't take anything or anyone for granted."

 

[James331]

Guess you could go into a hold upwind and 50miles off the coast, land on the island that wasn't hit, after playing with those calculators North Koreans nukes wouldn't have the yield to cause an immediate threat to the next big airport.


Also this SCREAMS of fear mongering to get the American people to support our ramped up war mongering with NK, getting flash backs to colin powells lies to get us to invade Iraq, and we all know how great that turned out.

To me, it just increases my distrust of our very crooked government.

 

[mscard88]

If NK targeted Honolulu in an actual missile attack I imagine landing at HNL would be the safest of all available options.

Pearl Harbor and Hickam AFB (joint base w/ HNL) both right there. Not to mention Pacific Command Headquarters so Honolulu a probable target. Why would that be a safe place to land?

 

[kyleb]

Also this SCREAMS of fear mongerint to get the American people to support our ramped up war mongering with NK.

To me, it just increases my distrust of our very crooked government.

A state run public warning system sent out a message by mistake/human error. How does that morph into a rant?

 

[kyleb]

Pearl Harbor and Hickam AFB (joint base w/ HNL) both right there. Not to mention Pacific Command Headquarters so Honolulu a probable target. Why would that be a safe place to land?

Presumably, they wouldn't be able to hit the broad side of a barn with their first missile...

 

[flyingron]

Lots of airports in Hawaii can take airliners. Going for west to east: LIH (Lihue, Kauai), HNL (Honolulu, Oahu), MKK (Hoolehua, Malokai), LNY (Lanai), JHM (Kapalua, Maui), OGG (Kahuli, Maui), Kona (KOA, Hawaii), and Hilo (ITO, Hawaii). The two furthest are 276 miles apart. HNL - ITO is 188 miles.

And yes you have Hickham as well as MCBH, Bellows, and Wheeler on Oahu and Barking Sands on Kauai

 

[mscard88]

Presumably, they wouldn't be able to hit the broad side of a barn with their first missile...

I wouldn't bet on that.

 

[Ravioli]

Why would that be a safe place to land?

And Mark misses the obvious joke about the accuracy of NK missile guidance systems.

 

[woodchucker]

I wouldn't bet on that.

Sigh...

Okay, climb and circle offshore until conditions make landing locally a possibility or diversion to non-affected strike areas become a necessity. For planes without fuel reserves pilots should make plans to ditch in the Pacific, preferably as close to rescue options as possible.

Is it not possible to enjoy a little side humor on this site, or is it a requirement to take everything uber-seriously?

As a side note, in the actual eventuality of a missile strike ANYWHERE, we will be facing a lot more issues than a few airliners needing a place to land.

 

[James331]

A state run public warning system sent out a message by mistake/human error. How does that morph into a rant?

The same state that's been pushing for more warmongering with North Korea?

That same state just happens to accidentally signal a missle launch during the same time they are running up the flag pole with North Korea and missiles and pu$hing for military action against them?

Besides our government has a very solid track record of lying and fear mongering to justify unjustified wars.


Ether you're quite the naive statist, or we all should go buy lotto tickets

 

[Velocity173]

A friend of mine has a family member that's an ATC guy over there, he posted this to his FB page. Kinda makes you sit back and think.

"8:07am I was plugged in working airplanes like I do every Saturday morning, when the day took a turn into the surreal. Pilot after pilot started to check in with the same question. "Center, can you confirm the missle launch?" Then, as questions on the control floor were asked, it seemed like every phone in the room started ringing. The word "confirmed" stung like a knife in the gut. As I started to advise the pilots on frequency that the missle launch is confirmed, the frequencies grew silent.

As I did the only thing I could, continue to take care of the planes in my charge, all I could do was think about the ones I love, my loving wife and amazing kids. With less then 10 minutes there was nothing I could do.

We found out rather quickly that it was a false alarm, but it seemed like forever.
With my heart racing and my stomach in my throat, this is what was in my mind. Every day, for the last 29 years, when I leave home for work I hug ****, kiss her and tell her I love her. It may sound silly and trite, but today, for 10 long minutes, it mattered.

Don't take anything or anyone for granted."

I’d like to know what emergency air traffic playbook he was working on. Telling pilots that a missile launch is “confirmed” because a cell phone text that came from the local EMC, isn’t covered in the .65.

A notification by the local EMC / EMA is not an offical notification to ATC. The center supervisor will take their marching orders through the ATC Command Center in DC or most likely in this case, US Pacific Command. If neither of them confirms a launch, then no point in putting out false information. If launch is confirmed, then emergency air traffic authorization is in effect and each facility will initiate SCATANA procedures.

 

[mscard88]

And Mark misses the obvious joke about the accuracy of NK missile guidance systems.

Well no smiley in my defense. ---->

 

[SkyDog58]

Orson Welles would be proud.

So freaking hilarious.

 

[JOhnH]

I wouldn't bet on that.

Would you accept it as a humorous joke?
Jeez.

 

[mscard88]

Would you accept it as a humorous joke?
Jeez.

Easy. Not a big deal. I was just commenting on what I believe about NK. Jeez.

 

[Nmm347]

The same state that's been pushing for more warmongering with North Korea?

That same state just happens to accidentally signal a missle launch during the same time they are running up the flag pole with North Korea and missiles and pu$hing for military action against them?

Since when has Hawaii been pushing for more warmongering with NK?

 

[brien23]

I’d like to know what emergency air traffic playbook he was working on. Telling pilots that a missile launch is “confirmed” because a cell phone text that came from the local EMC, isn’t covered in the .65.

A notification by the local EMC / EMA is not an offical notification to ATC. The center supervisor will take their marching orders through the ATC Command Center in DC or most likely in this case, US Pacific Command. If neither of them confirms a launch, then no point in putting out false information. If launch is confirmed, then emergency air traffic authorization is in effect and each facility will initiate SCATANA procedures.

Seems like they did the right thing, had it been real center would probably not be around to do anything about it. At least a little advance notice gave pilots some time to think about an alternate. One can only imagine what a 777 captain 20 minutes out state of mind was after hearing launch confirmed.

 

[James331]

Since when has Hawaii been pushing for more warmongering with NK?

Since they became a subject of the federal government.

So, like 1959

 

[Nmm347]

Since they became a subject of the federal government.

So, like 1959

Let me get this line of logic straight. You think since the state of Hawaii is a subject of the federal government Hawaii "colluded" with the federal government to issue the alert in furtherance of a more grand scheme orchestrated by the federal government? Bit of a stretch.

 

[James331]

Let me get this line of logic straight. You think since the state of Hawaii is a subject of the federal government Hawaii "colluded" with the federal government to issue the alert in furtherance of a more grand scheme orchestrated by the federal government? Bit of a stretch.

And someone "hitting the wrong button" in this saber rattling climate makes more sense?

Betcha also think Colin Powell realllly had no idea he was selling a line of BS?

I mean you got to look at the big picture, it's like having a cashier who posts about hating the company, who's got major money issues, and just happened to "accidentally" pocket 2k out of the drawer.

Could it be a mistake, sure.
Just like I could also be the queen of England posting anonymously

 

[Velocity173]

Seems like they did the right thing, had it been real center would probably not be around to do anything about it. At least a little advance notice gave pilots some time to think about an alternate. One can only imagine what a 777 captain 20 minutes out state of mind was after hearing launch confirmed.

But that’s the problem, none of the controllers should have stated that a launch was confirmed. That’s passing bad information that isn’t confirmed from the source. Best judgment would be to tell the aircraft you’re working is that they’ve received a message from the EMA / EMC but they are attempting to confirm the message.

The sup at ZHN has lines of communication to a rep PACOM and the Command Center in DC. The false alarm should have been confirmed immediately and that info disseminated down to towers & TRACONs.

 

[Nmm347]

Yeah someone pushing the wrong button by mistake vs. a grand scheme of the federal government getting a state agency to send a false warning just for the reason of who knows what does make more sense. Especially when the state in question has a history of not agreeing with the current president on policy matters.

Step back, take the tin foil hat off and realize your logic requires way too many moving parts, conspiracy theories, and CIA operatives to be a reality. Usually the more simpler answer is the correct answer.

 

[James331]

And the defense wishes to present US history lol

 

[RudyP]

Yeah someone pushing the wrong button by mistake vs. a grand scheme of the federal government getting a state agency to send a false warning just for the reason of who knows what does make more sense. Especially when the state in question has a history of not agreeing with the current president on policy matters.

Step back, take the tin foil hat off and realize your logic requires way too many moving parts, conspiracy theories, and CIA operatives to be a reality. Usually the more simpler answer is the correct answer.

Agreed. I am not one to defend our government's good intentions (not specific to this administration either), but I struggle to ascribe to malice what can simply be explained by incompetence.

Neither quality is in short supply...

 

[James331]

Agreed. I am not one to defend our government's good intentions (not specific to this administration either), but I struggle to ascribe to malice what can simply be explained by incompetence.

Neither quality is in short supply...

We've attributed going to war quite a few times with a major oops

 

[Cody Thomson-Esquer]

Aloha! I was reading this post because I was very curious myself as to how this all went down yesterday with ATC and arriving planes that were coming in. I live on the Leeward side on Oahu and most flights into HNL come in to land right over my backyard at about 3,000 feet up. In any event, what transpired yesterday was complete terror that is hard to even describe in words. My husband and I immediately threw everything out from a closet underneath a staircase and took refuge inside it after closing up the windows and doors and grabbing the kitty.

I couldn't hear sirens going off from the house, but I got the EWS message and saw the alert on television and was trying to gather more info as we waited inside the closet and it was difficult gathering information because not every news station was sending out an alert and at the time nobody on Twitter had shown it was a false alarm in the early stages. I turned to FlightAware's app on my phone to see what the situation was with inbound planes and I did not notice anything that was different. After the all clear was given, I looked at the flight history from an hour before and it looked as though only one flight may have avoided landing and stayed in the air longer, it was an ANA flight inbound from Tokyo which landed at 0815. I'm not sure if this was an error in the data that was stored and how it was map and wanted to ask you folks here to see if anyone could provide feedback as to what may have happened as this flight landed. I attached the screen shots here that I took for everyone to look at (I would have embedded them in this message rather than attaching them but I'm still a new member under 5 posts).

Had the threat been real, or had the false alarm not been debunked as "early" as it had, it makes me wonder if incoming aircraft might have turned around and head in the opposite direction at least temporary so as to avoid possible EMP effects. Such a nerve racking situation it was, definitely one of the scariest moments in my life.

 

[Cody Thomson-Esquer]

And I just wanted to add the Dreamliner landed ten minutes ahead of schedule, right in the middle of as it was happening. The alert was issued at 0807 and it was not until 0820 that Emergency Management issued a clarification on Twitter. If it circled back before landing it did so before agencies knew this was a false alarm.

 

[SkyDog58]

Complete terror. Lol.