AVIATION/ CARBON MONOXIDE DIVERTS PINNACLE CRJ

A potentially serious incident was averted yesterday after carbon monoxide began to invade the cockpit of a PINNACLE AIRLINES CRJ200. Pinnacle Flight 3947 was on Domestic Service on behalf of NORTHWEST AIRLINES, from Minneapolis/St Paul, Minnesota, to Cleveland, Ohio, with 47 passengers and 4 crew members onboard, when the incident took place. The crew donned their O2 masks and declared an emergency while climbing out of 29000 feet, shortly after departure from MSP. The crew reported that they were feeling "different," but they were focused flying the aircraft, albeit with difficulty. Shortly thereafter, Flight 3947 was diverted to Grand Rapids, Michigan, with ATC notifying the crew that they could land on any runway. ATC directed them to land on runway 08R, as they were already aligned for that runway, and the CRJ touched down without incident, about 30 minutes after the flight crew first reported problems. Once on the ground, the Pilots reported that they both experienced numb feet and toes, felt light headed, and had trouble thinking. The Pilots recovered on the scene without difficulty. No one in the passenger cabin reported any problems. Post flight inspection of the aircraft revealed traces of carbon monxide in the cockpit. The CRJ has been removed from service and is undergoing a full inspection.