Airline crashes, déjà vu?
A recent news item may have reminded air travelers about an unexpected danger: coffee?
Yes, really.
A popular book on the early days of commercial air flights (made into a movie in 1964) was “Fate is the Hunter” by Ernest Kahn. The plot: a federal investigator not satisfied with the “pilot error” verdict of a crash by a pilot friend that killed virtually all passengers finds that the cause was instead a cup of hot coffee that burned some internal wires.
Flash to now: a pilot’s spilled coffee accidentally triggered a hijacking alert and caused a United Airlines flight from Chicago to Frankfurt, Germany, to make an unscheduled stop in Canada, reports the AP.
A Transport Canada report says United Flight 940 was diverted to Toronto late Monday and landed safely at Pearson International Airport.
An emergency was declared and Canada’s defense department was notified, but that with the help of United dispatch staff the flight crew confirmed it to be a communication issue and not a hijacking.
The report says the US Federal Aviation Administration reported that United’s corporate office had indicated that the pilot "had inadvertently squawked a 7500 code after spilling coffee on the aircraft’s radio equipment, which interfered with the communications equipment."
The 241 passengers and 14 crew members were unhurt and rebooked on another flight.
When asked about coffee triggering the diversion and mass delay, United Airlines avoided the subject, according to wire services.
By David Wilkening
David
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Germany new European Entry/Exit System limited to a single airport on October 12, 2025
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers
TAP Air Portugal to operate 29 flights due to strike on December 11
Air Mauritius reduces frequencies to Europe and Asia for the holiday season