‘Malicious’ Radio Transmissions Heard During Aircraft Emergency

A controller and several pilots heard “malicious” transmissions on an air traffic control frequency Sunday. The incident occurred at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport.

According to air traffic control audio tapes, a voice can be heard on the frequency saying “go around.” The controller later said this was not an instruction from the tower.

Some pilots also heard the transmission, but no action was taken. A Kalitta Air crew said they “clearly heard” the go-around instructions.

The controller responded, saying he believed this transmission to be “malicious” in nature.

“Exercise extreme caution for all frequencies and verify instructions,” the controller warned all aircraft.

Aircraft Emergency

Around the same time, American flight 672, operating from Dallas/Fort Worth to New York LaGuardia, was forced to divert to Cincinnati due to a right-hand engine issue. The crew proceeded to shut the engine down.

An emergency was declared, and the Boeing 737-800 landed safely. While on approach, the controller warned the American crew of the unauthorized transmission, which had occurred roughly 15 minutes earlier.

A Federal Aviation Administration spokesperson told AirlineGeeks that the agency had received a report of the unauthorized transmission but would not investigate until there were repeat incidents. If more were to take place, the matter could be referred to law enforcement, the spokesperson added.

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Ryan Ewing

Ryan founded AirlineGeeks.com back in February 2013 and has amassed considerable experience in the aviation sector. His work has been featured in several publications and news outlets, including CNN, WJLA, CNET, and Business Insider. During his time in the industry, he's worked in roles pertaining to airport/airline operations while holding a B.S. in Air Transportation Management from Arizona State University along with an MBA. Ryan has experience in several facets of the industry from behind the yoke of a Cessna 172 to interviewing airline industry executives. Ryan works for AirlineGeeks' owner FLYING Media, spearheading coverage in the commercial aviation space.

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