Reno Airport Traffic Control Tower transcript of radio communications with NW Flight 305

AIRPORT TRAFFIC CONTROL TOWER Reno International Airport 1900 National Guard Way Reno, Nevada 89502

---

29 November 1971

---

Transcription prepared by Reno Airport Traffic Control Tower, Reno, Nevada.

Subject: Conversation between Northwest Airlines Flight 305 and Reno Departure Control (Radar), Reno Local Control and Oakland Air Route Traffic Control Center pertinent to the incident of Northwest Airlines Flight 305 on 25 November 1971 between 0632 GMT and 0722 GMT.

Date and period of time covered by the transcription:

. 25 November 1971, from 0632 GMT to 0722 GMT.

Agencies making transmissions and abbreviation for each:

Reno Departure Control (Radar): RNO TWR DR

Reno Local Control: RNO TWR LC

Oakland Air Route Traffic Control Center: OAK ARTCC

Northwest Airlines Flight 305: NW305 .

---

I HEREBY CERTIFY that the following is a true transcription of the recorded conversation pertaining to the subject incident.

---

[REDACTED BOX]

[REDACTED], Reno Airport Traffic Control Tower [illegible]

---

b6 Per FAA b7C Per FAA

---

DB Cooper-4051

0632 GMT .

RNO TWR DR: RENO

OAK ARTCC: LET'S SEE IF WE CAN GIVE YOU A HANDOFF NORTHWEST THREE ZERO FIVE

RNO TWR DR: I DON'T SEE ANYTHING WEST YET

OAK ARTCC: OKAY STRETCH YOUR RADAR WAY OUT TO THE NORTHWEST

0633 GMT

RNO TWR DR: OKAY I'M OUT TO FIFTY MILES NOW

OAK ARTCC: OKAY

RNO TWR DR: IS HE STILL ON THIRTY ONE

OAK ARTCC: HE'S ON THIRTY ONE WE HAVE A ALSO CODE ELEVEN THIS IS A AIR RESCUE FIVE ZERO NINE EIGHT THREE

OAK ARTCC: AND THE LET IS GIVE YOU THE TYPE I DON'T KNOW IF HE'S GOING TO FOLLOW HIM IN FOR A LANDING

OAK ARTCC: AND IT'S A C ONE THIRTY COPY

RNO TWR DR: YEAH

OAK ARTCC: OKAY

0634 GMT

RNO TWR DR: RADAR CONTACT NORTHWEST THREE ZERO FIVE AT FORTY TWO MILES

OAK ARTCC: FORTY TWO WEST NORTHWEST OF RENO HEADING ZERO SIX ZERO ONE ONE THOUSAND

RNO TWR DR: IN

OAK ARTCC: OKAY RESCUE FIVE ZERO NINE EIGHT THREE IS AN SIX IN TRAIL FIVE MILES PROVIDING HIS OWN SEPARATION

RNO TWR DR: OKAY I DON'T HAVE HIM YET

OAK ARTCC: OKAY HE'S ON CODE ELEVEN HOWEVER HE IS AT ONE TWO THOUSAND

RNO TWR DR: UH

0535 GMT

OAK ARTCC: WAIT WHAT FREQUENCY FOR RENO APPROACH

RNO TWR DR: PUT HIM ON ONE TWO SIX POINT THREE

OAK ARTCC: ONE TWO SIX THREE

RNO TWR DR: RIGHT

OAK ARTCC: WILL DO

NW305: RENO APPROACH THIS IS NORTHWEST THREE ZERO FIVE ELEVEN THOUSAND HEADING ZERO SIX ZERO

RNO TWR DR: NORTHWEST THREE ZERO FIVE RENO APPROACH RADAR CONTACT THIRTY MILES NORTHEAST OF RENO USING RUNWAY ONE SIX WITH ZERO TWO ZERO DEGREES VARIABLE AT SEVEN ALTIMETER THREE ZERO ONE ZERO MAINTAIN PRESENT HEADING FOR VECTOR TO THE ILS FINAL APPROACH COURSE EXPECT LOWER ALTITUDE AN CORRECTION EXPECT A LOWER ALTITUDE IN TWENTY MILES

NW305: OKAY AH WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE CONTACT WITH THE BACK ROW AND AH WE'RE GOING TO GET THESE STEPS UP BEFORE WE CAN MAKE OUR LANDING SO AH WE'LL PROCEED IN AND AH WERE LIABLE TO BREAK IT OFF AT SOME POINT AND WE'LL KEEP YOU ADVISED

0536 GMT

---

DB Cooper-4053

RNO TWR DR: OKAY FINE

0637 GMT

RNO TWR DR: NORTHWEST THREE ZERO FIVE YOU CAN EXPECT NINE THOUSAND IN THREE MILES

NW305: OKAY NINE THOUSAND THREE MILES

0638 GMT

RNO TWR DR: NORTHWEST THREE ZERO FIVE DESCEND AND MAINTAIN NINE THOUSAND THREE RIGHT HEADING ZERO NINE ZERO

NW305: RIGHT TO ZERO NINE ZERO THE HEADING AND DOWN TO NINE

RNO TWR DR: NORTHWEST THREE ZERO FIVE TURN RIGHT HEADING ONE THREE ZERO

NW305: RIGHT TO ONE THREE ZERO

0639 GMT

RNO TWR DR: NORTHWEST THREE ZERO FIVE UPON INTERCEPTING THE RENO LOCALIZER TURN INBOUND

NW305: OKAY UPON INTERCEPTING THE LOCALIZER WE'LL TURN INBOUND

0642 GMT

RNO TWR DR: NORTHWEST THREE ZERO FIVE YOU APPEAR TO BE ABOUT A MILE EAST OF THE LOCALIZER NOW A RIGHT TURN BACK TO ABOUT ONE NINE ZERO WILL PUT YOU BACK ON

NW305: OKAY ON ONE NINE ZERO

RNO TWR DR: NORTHWEST THREE ZERO FIVE DESCEND AND MAINTAIN EIGHT THOUSAND TWO HUNDRED

---

DB Cooper-4054

NW305: EIGHT THOUSAND TWO HUNDRED ON THE ALT

0643 GMT

RNO TWR DN: NORTHWEST THREE ZERO FIVE WHAT'S THE STATUS ON THE STAIRS NOW SIR

NW305: AH WE HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO GET AHOLD OF ANYBODY YET UH TRYING TO CONTACT HIM AND AH THEY'RE STILL DOWN SO I UH HAVEN'T DECIDED YET AH WE MIGHT COME IN AND LAND WITH THEM DOWN THERE'D BE SOME SPARES SO

RNO TWR DN: OKAY IF YOU THINK YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO CIRCLE I'D SUGGEST YOU'D MAINTAIN ABOVE EIGHTY TWO HUNDRED

NW305: OKAY IS THAT EIGHTY TWO HUNDRED ON THE CIRCLE

RNO TWR DN: THAT'S OKAY

NW305: OKAY THANK YOU

0644 GMT

RNO TWR DN: NORTHWEST THREE ZERO FIVE IF YOU DECIDE TO CIRCLE MAKE YOUR CIRCLE TO THE LEFT AND EAST OF THE LOCALIZER COURSE

NW305: THREE ZERO FIVE ROGER

0645 GMT

NW305: AND THREE ZERO FIVE WE'LL PROBABLY BE AN HOLDING IN THE MARKER AREA OR THE AREA OF THE MARKER HERE AH WE'LL CIRCLE TO THE LEFT

RNO TWR DN: OKAY

RNO TWR DN: THREE ZERO FIVE MAINTAIN EIGHT THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED FOR YOUR CIRCLE

NW305: AH THREE ZERO FIVE OKAY

---

DB Cooper-4055

0646 GMT

NW305: THREE ZERO FIVE AH WE'RE JUST COMING UP TOWARDS THE MARKER HERE WE'LL START HER IN

RNO TWR DR: NORTHWEST THREE ZERO FIVE ROGER

RNO TWR DR: TRAFFIC WILL BE HOLDING ABOVE YOU AT TWELVE NO PROBLEM

NW305: THREE ZERO FIVE ROGER

0647 GMT

NW305: RENO TOWER CAN WE GET THE WIND AGAIN

RNO TWR DR: THREE ZERO FIVE SAY AGAIN

NW305: CAN WE HAVE A WIND CHECK

RNO TWR DR: ONE FOUR ZERO DEGREES AT FIVE

NW305: ROGER

0648 GMT

NW305: APPROACH AH THREE ZERO FIVE WE CAN'T SEEM TO RAISE HIM BACK THREE IF HE IS THERE WE KIND OF HATE TO WE'D JUST AS SOON LAND WITH THE THING HANGING DOWN IT ISN'T ALL THE WAY DOWN AND THERE PROBABLY WON'T HAVE ANY PRESSURE ON IT SO WE HOPE IT'LL (unintelligible) FREE AND AH WHERE DO YOU WANT US.TO GO AFTER WE GET ON THE GROUND

RNO TWR DR: NORTHWEST THREE ZERO FIVE PLAN TAXIING NORTH TO THE TERMINAL RAMP

NW305: AH WE DON'T WANT TO GET INTO THE TERMINAL AREA SOME AH RUNWAY THAT'S CLEAR OF THE TERMINAL

RNO TWR DR: OKAY STANDBY

---

DB-Cooper-4056

0649 GMT

RNO TWR DR: THREE ZERO FIVE DO YOU WANT TO HOLD ON THE RUNWAY

NW305: AH IF WE'VE GOT SOMEBODY ELSE COMING IN THERE WE'D JUST SOON GET OFF ON THE TAXIWAY SOMEWHERE

RNO TWR DR: OKAY WE CAN PUT YOU UP NEAR THE TERMINAL IT'S WELL CLEAR OF THE ALL BUILDING AREAS IT'S A AH VERY LARGE RAMP AREA

NW305: AH I WANT TO STAY AWAY FROM ANY HAZARD IF THE BOMB GOES OFF WE DON'T WANT IT TO HINDER ANYONE AND UH WE'LL WANT THE FUEL TRUCKS TO PULL UP SO AH ANYWAY IF YOU GOT A WIDE APRON

0650 GMT

RNO TWR DR: OKAY I BELIEVE THE WIDE APRON WOULD BE BEST

RNO TWR DR: DO YOU WANT TO START INBOUND NOW SIR ON YOUR APPROACH

NW305: JUST A MINUTE

0651 GMT

RNO TWR DR: NORTHWEST THREE ZERO FIVE YOU CAN PLAN ON PARKING IN THE TERMINAL RAMP IT'LL BE A HUNDRED AND FIFTY YARDS BACK FROM THE TERMINAL

NW305: OKAY YOU JUST LEAD US WHEN WE GET ON THE GROUND

RNO TWR DR: WE'LL DO IT

RNO TWR DR: DO YOU PLAN ON [guess: REFUELING] IT IN [guess: RENO] SIR

NW305: YES SIR

0652 GMT

RNO TWR DR: THREE ZERO FIVE TRAFFIC ELEVEN O'CLOCK TWO MILES NORTHBOUND WELL ABOVE YOU

NW305: THREE ZERO FIVE

NW305: OKAY WE'RE GONNA MAKE ONE MORE CIRCLE THEN WE'LL PROBABLY COME IN

0655 GMT

RNO TWR DR: NORTHWEST THREE ZERO FIVE THREE MILES FROM SPARKS RADIO BEACON CLEARED FOR AN ILS ALPHA APPROACH

NW305: CLEARED FOR THE APPROACH THREE ZERO FIVE

0657 GMT

RNO TWR DR: NORTHWEST THREE ZERO FIVE REMAIN ON THIS FREQUENCY AND CONTACT TOWER AT THE OUTER MARKER

NW305: OKAY WE'LL REMAIN ON THIS FREQUENCY WITH YOU AN BE ADVISED APPROACH THAT UN WE'RE NOW MARKER INBOUND AND UN AN WE'RE GOING TO BE LANDING WITH THE AIR STAIR IN THE DOWN POSITION AN WE DON'T SEEM TO GET ANY REPORTS FROM OUR FRIEND IN THE BACK

RNO TWR DR: DO YOU WANT THE EQUIPMENT STANDING BY

NW305: SAY AGAIN PLEASE

RNO TWR DR: DO YOU WANT THE EMERGENCY EQUIPMENT TO STAND BY

NW305: NEGATIVE NEGATIVE WE DON'T WANT ANY FLASHING LIGHTS WE DON'T WANT ANYTHING BUT A NORMAL SITUATION WE ASK THAT YOU TREAT THIS AS NORMAL LANDING IN EVERY RESPECT OVER

RNO TWR DR: YES SIR THAT'S THE WAY IT'LL BE

NW305: THANK YOU

---

DB Cooper-4058

RNO TWR LC: NORTHWEST THREE ZERO FIVE RENO TOWER CLEARED TO LAND

0658 GMT

NW305: NORTHWEST THREE ZERO FIVE ROGER UNDERSTAND CLEARED TO LAND ---------- THE FULL LENGTH OF THE RUNWAY IS AVAILABLE.

RNO TWR LC: AFFIRMATIVE

NW305: THANK YOU

0659 GMT

NW305: SAY YOUR ALTIMETER PLEASE

RNO TWR LC: THREE ZERO ONE ZERO

NW305: THIRTY TEN THANK YOU

0702 GMT

NW305: WANT US TO ROLL TO THE END

RNO TWR LC: THREE ZERO FIVE YOU CAN TURN RIGHT THERE IF YOU LIKE AT THE AN RUNWAY AND THEN ANOTHER RIGHT TURN AT THE TAXIWAY

NW305: OKAY WE'LL TURN DOWN THE ACTIVE RUNWAY WE DON'T KNOW THE RUNNER IS IT TWO FIVE

RNO TWR LC: RIGHT THERE AT THAT RUNWAY THAT YOU'RE ON NOW IS A RIGHT TURN AND THEN A RIGHT TURN AT THE BLUE LIGHTS

NW305: ROGER UNDERSTAND IT BE A RIGHT TURN NOW AN FIRST UN- ---------------- TAXIWAY

RNO TWR LC: OKAY CONTINUE AHEAD TO THE BLUE LIGHTS THEN A RIGHT TURN AND THE GENERAL WILL BE THE NORTH END AND I WILL GIVE YOU INSTRUCTIONS AS YOU PROCEED

NW305: OKAY AND AH TURNS AH THE AREA YOU'RE TAKING US TO IS AN SOUTHEAST OF A A ISOLATED AREA IS IT NOT

RNO TWR LC: IT IS THE EAST END OF THE TERMINAL RAMP AN WHERE YOUR FUELING WILL BE AVAILABLE TO YOU

0703 GMT

NW305: OKAY UNDERSTOOD

NW305: SEE ANY SPARKS COMING OFF THE TAIL AT ANY TIME ON AH TOUCHDOWN

RNO TWR LC: NEGATIVE NONE AT ALL THE ONLY THING THAT'S VISIBLE ON THE TAIL IS LIGHTS AN APPARENTLY ON YOUR RAMP

NW305: ROGER UNDERSTOOD STAIR LANDS AH STAIR LIGHTS

RNO TWR LC: I DO SEE SOME AH SPARKS NOW JUST A FEW AH TRAILING YOU AH AS YOU'RE TAXIING IN

NW305: OUR AH PASSENGER TRIED TO DISEMBARK

RNO TWR LC: I STILL DON'T AH GETTING A FEW SPARKS NOT VERY MANY AT ALL

NW305: OKAY WE'LL TRY TO SLOW OUR TAXIING HERE AS MUCH AH IT PROBABLY IS DRAGGING AH

0704 GMT

RNO TWR LC: NORTHWEST THREE ZERO FIVE RENO TOWER YOUR FLAPS ARE RETRACTED

NW305: AH ROGER THANK YOU

RNO TWR LC: OKAY CONTINUE STRAIGHT AHEAD AND AH ON YOUR LEFT YOU'LL SEE A AH SERIES OF LITTLE RED LIGHTS POINTING TO THE RAMP IT'LL BE A LEFT TURN THERE YOU'LL BE PARKED ON THE EAST EDGE OF THE AH CONCRETE RAMP THAT THAT AH ADJOINS

---

DB Cooper-4060