Short Final

Sunday, September 02, 2007 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

A Minneapolis Center air traffic controller repeatedly issued incorrect vectors and headings to United 928, a flight explicitly bound for London.
The controller initially directed the London-bound flight to "Badger," then a heading of 340, before the pilot prompted a correction by stating their destination.
The controller then provided another heading, first mislabeling it as "vectors to London" before correcting that it was vectors for "PECOK."

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Overheard by a passenger from Chicago to London, England:

Minneapolis Center:
“United Nine Two Eight Heavy, direct Badger – Whoa, we’re not going to Badger are we – Nine Two Eight fly heading 340.”

United 928:
“Um, we’re going to London.”

Center:
“Ah, United Nine Two Eight Heavy, fly 010, vectors to London.”

Center (15 seconds later):
“Of course that’s not really vectors for London, it’s vectors for – um, PECOK.”