Seattle ARTCC transcription of air-ground communications with NW Flight 305

Seattle Air Route Traffic Control Center

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Name of Facility Preparing Transcription Seattle Air Route Traffic Control Center

Subject of Transcription Air-Ground Communications Pertaining to the Incident to Northwest Airlines Flight 305

Date and Period of Time Covered by Transcription 0337:11 GMT to 0545:29 GMT 25 November 1971

Agencies Making Transmissions and Abbreviation of Each Northwest Airlines Flight 305 NW305 Seattle ARTCC Position R2 SEA R2 Seattle ARTCC Position R5 SEA R5 Seattle ARTCC Position R6 SEA R6 Seattle ARTCC Position R10 SEA R10

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

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[signature redacted]

Chief, Seattle ARTCC

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b6 Per FAA b7C

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I certify that this is a true copy of the orig[inal] [illegible] [illegible] Seattle Center /

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b6 Per FAA b7C

DB Cooper-28477

0337:11 NW 305 Northwest three oh five we're ah (7:37 PM; PST) 0337:17 SEA R2 Northwest three zero five ident verify assigned one zero thousand

0337:23 NW 305 (Unintelligible) three zero five

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0339:43 SEA R2 Northwest three zero five say altitude now

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0340:02 SEA R2 Northwest one zero correction Northwest three zero five say altitude please

0340:06 NW 305 Three oh five through sixty five hundred ah trying to get the steps down down back there ah

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0340:37 NW 305 One oh five ah three oh five we're gonna level off here for a while at seven thousand he wants the steps down and ah we're gonna have er about down to a hundred and sixty knots

0340:48 SEA R2 Northwest three zero five roger

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0344:22 SEA R2 Northwest three zero five advise if you change altitudes over

NW 305 Okay we'll hold at seven here we got the back steps down now and ah it looks like we aren't gonna be able to climb anymore ah we'll hold seven thousand

0344:34 SEA R2 Northwest three oh five roger

- - - - - - DB Cooper-28478

Page 2

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0349:18 SEA R2 Northwest three zero five in event of lost (7:49PM, PST) communications contact Seattle Center one three three point niner

0350:05 SEA R2 Northwest three zero five Toledo altimeter two niner niner eight

0351:31 NW 305 Center Northwest three oh five ah we're gonna climb out climbing up ah to ten thousand and ah we're through nine now

0351:42 SEA R2 Northwest three zero five roger report level at one zero thousand

NW 305 Roger

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0353:34 NW 305 Northwest three oh five we're leveling at ten thousand

SEA R2 Northwest three oh five roger

0353:40 NW 305 Airspeed in the vicinity of one seventy one eighty

SEA R2 Three oh five roger

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0359:10 SEA R2 Northwest three zero five contact Seattle Center one three three point niner

0359:15 NW 305 Ah one thirty three point nine

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DB Cooper-28479

Page 3

0413:14 NW 305 Center four oh five (unintelligible) twenty point (8:13PM, PST) nine ten thousand

SEA R5 Northwest three zero five ident

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0415:52 SEA R5 Northwest three zero five the Portland ah altimeter . three zero zero three

NW 305 Zero zero three

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0433:36 SEA R5 Northwest three zero five contact Seattle Center one two five point eight

0433:46 NW 305 Twenty five point eight so long

SEA R5 Good day sir

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0433:51 NW 305 Seattle Center Northwest three zero five ten thousand

0433:55 SEA R6 Northwest three zero five Seattle Center one zero thousand ident

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0445:45 SEA R6 Northwest three zero five Eugene altimeter three zero zero six

NW 305 Ah one three zero point six

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SEA R6 Negative sir Eugene altimeter three zero zero six

NW 305 Okay switching

SEA R6 Negative sir remain on this frequency that's an altimeter ah the current altimeter is three zero one one

0446:06 NW 305 Oh okay three zero one one (8:46 Pm, PST) - - - - - -

0454:47 SEA R6 Northwest three zero five Seattle radio check

NW 305 Three oh five loud and clear

0454:53 SEA R6 Roger sir I lost your transponder

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0503:36 SEA R6 Northwest three zero five contact Seattle Center now on one two five point three

0503:41 NW 305 Okay twenty five point three Northwest three oh five

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0503:57 NW 305 Seattle Center Northwest three zero five at ten thousand

0504:05 SEA R10 Northwest three zero five Seattle Center ident

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DB Cooper-28481

Page 5

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0513:10 SEA R10 Northwest three zero five Medford altimeter three (9:13PM, PST) zero one three

0513:16 NW 305 Three zero one three

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0528:01 SEA R10 Northwest three zero five request the outside air temperature at your altitude

NW 305 Ah three oh five you came on with somebody else say again

SEA R10 Northwest three zero five request the outside air temperature at your altitude

0528:28 NW 305 Ah (unintelligible) minus five

SEA R10 Understand minus five zero five

NW 305 (Unintelligible)

SEA R10 Northwest three zero five verify that temperature as centigrade

0529:04 NW 305 That's okay centigrade

SEA R10 Roger

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0538:31 SEA R10 Northwest three zero five the Montague altimeter three zero one one

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DB Cooper-28482

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0541:48 SEA R10 Northwest three zero five the Montague altimeter (9:41PM, PST) three zero one one

0541:52 NW 305 Three zero one one roger three oh five

0543:26 NW 305 Ah Northwest three zero five

SEA R10 Northwest three zero five go ahead

0543:32 NW 305 Roger we'd like to start climb to eleven thousand (unintelligible) okay with you

SEA R10 Northwest three zero five ah climb to one one thousand under your conditions are approved report reaching

0543:46 NW 305 Three oh five

0545:20 SEA R10 Northwest three zero five contact Oakland Center on one two zero point four good luck sir

0545:29 NW 305 Okay one two zero point four thank you (9:45PM, PST)