jabird

I always thought the correct code for New Orleans was one of those spotter favourites - MSY, as in Moisant Stock Yards.

Watching the inevitably dumbed down "Air Crash Investigation" (should I admit to that here?) this evening, they had the remarkable story of TACA 110, which landed on a levy in New Orleans.

MSY is where the plane would have been heading - but the nav screen showed NEW, the original code for Lakefront Airport, superceded by MSY in 1946.

So - were they being correct, and the screen would have shown NEW for some reason (MSY was not shown).

Or are they just dumbing down more than usual - after all, you would never associate MSY with either New Orleans or Louis Armstrong after who the airport is named.

DaveReidUK

I'm surprised you're surprised.

One look at the wonderfully spacious, not-to-scale cabins and flight decks that feature on Air Crash Investigation should tell you all you need to know about the importance they place on accuracy and realism.

Either that, or they employ miniature actors.

jabird

You mean the 737s with four abreast seating? The use of stock footage from UK airports to stand in for American ones? Yup, hadn't skipped my attention, but they have usually explained the purpose of localiser beacons etc and I would still expect them to get the codes right, given the likely geeky audience.

Maybe I was expecting too much from the channel that brought us "Zombies the Truth"!

reportyourlevel

The correct code for New Orleans, as far as ATC and flight plans go, is KMSY. I'm sure that's what the FMS would use. The IATA codes (three letters) are used for tickets etc.

Doors to Automatic

All New Orleans bound commercial flights go to MSY as far as I know.

jabird

Yup, and they did at the time of the incident.

Except the flight in question of course, which landed on the levy