Northwest Airlink

The 2003-2010 logo for Northwest Airlink.

Northwest Airlink was the trade name of Northwest Airlines' regional airline service, which flew turboprop and regional jet aircraft from Northwest's domestic hubs in Minneapolis, Detroit, and Memphis. Service was primarily to small-to-medium-sized cities and towns where larger aircraft might not be economical to operate and also to larger markets to either provide additional capacity or more frequent flights than could be justified using mainline aircraft. Beginning in July 2009, the Northwest Airlink trade name was phased out, and replaced by the Delta Connection trade name for Delta Air Lines as part of the Delta/Northwest merger.

Short 360 operated by Pacific Island Aviation at Guam

A Compass Airlines Embraer ERJ-175 shortly after takeoff from Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport on February 28, 2009.

Northwest Airlink Saab 340B/Plus operated by Mesaba shortly after takeoff from Minneapolis St-Paul

Northwest Airlink CASA 212 which crashed at Detroit in March 1987

Operators

Airline	IATA code	ICAO code	Call sign	Aircraft operated	Parent
Compass Airlines	CP	CPZ	Compass	Embraer 170 Embraer 175LR	Northwest Airlines
Mesaba Airlines	XJ	MES	Mesaba	Bombardier CRJ-200 Bombardier CRJ-900 Saab 340	Northwest Airlines
Pinnacle Airlines	9E	FLG	Flagship	Bombardier CRJ-200	Pinnacle Airlines Corp.

Since the Delta merger Compass is now owned by Trans States Holdings and Mesaba is owned by Pinnacle Airlines Corp.

Destinations

Further information: Northwest Airlink destinations

Fleet

Northwest Airlink service was operated using 34-seat Saab 340B turboprops and 50-seat CRJ200 aircraft in a single class of service. Mesaba Airlines and Compass Airlines also operated Bombardier CRJ-900s and Embraer E-175s, respectively. Both aircraft were operated in a 76-seat, two-class configuration.

Northwest Airlink previously operated Avro RJ85 jet aircraft in a 69-seat, two-class configuration before this aircraft type was retired from the fleet.^[1] Other aircraft operated in the past by Northwest Airlink included various commuter turboprops such as the British Aerospace BAe Jetstream 31, CASA 212 and Short 360.

Incidents and accidents

March 4, 1987: Northwest Airlink Flight 2268, operated by Fischer Brothers Aviation, a CASA 212 N160FB was on a scheduled flight from Mansfield to Detroit with an intermediate stop in Cleveland when it crashed while landing at Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport. The plane yawed violently to the left about 70 feet above the runway, skidded to the right, hit 3 ground support vehicles in front of Concourse F and caught fire. Out of 19 occupants onboard (16 passengers and 3 crew), 9 were killed. The cause of the crash was determined to be pilot error.^[2]
December 1, 1993: Northwest Airlink Flight 5719 being operated by Express Airlines II, a Jetstream 31, was flying a scheduled flight from Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport to International Falls with an en route stop in Hibbing when it crashed while approaching for landing at Chisholm-Hibbing Airport. The plane descended struck the tops of trees and then two ridges and came to rest inverted on its right side. All 18 occupants (16 passengers and 2 crew) died. The cause of the crash was the lack of crew-coordination and loss of awareness of the altitude during a night instrument landing.^[3]
October 14, 2004: Pinnacle Airlines Flight 3701 was a Bombardier CRJ200 with a crew of two operating a ferry flight (with no passengers) from Little Rock, AR to Minneapolis, MN. It crashed in a residential area in Jefferson City, MO due to the flight crew pushing the plane past its capabilities and ignoring warnings. The NTSB has since finished its investigation of the accident.^[4]

References

↑ airliners.net, Northwest Airlink Avro RJ85
↑ NTSB report
↑ NTSB report
↑ NTSB Aircraft Accident Report, Crash of Pinnacle Airlines Flight 3701, October 14, 2004.

External links

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