Cockpit Rule Violated in Chicago Accident

The pilot of a Southwest Airlines flight that skidded off a runway at Chicago's Midway Airport last week had engaged a braking system the airline forbids.

National Transportation Safety Board investigators said they found the autobrake switch in the "maximum" position on the Boeing 737 flight panel after it landed Thursday in a heavy snowstorm and skidded onto a busy street.

Southwest's policy is for pilots to brake manually, rather than allow an automatic function to kick in when the wheels touch the ground, the Chicago Sun-Times said Wednesday.

Federal Aviation Administration, NTSB and Southwest officials would not comment or provide documents regarding requests or plans to change Southwest's flight operation procedures regarding autobrakes.

Meanwhile, the 6-year-old boy who was killed in the accident, Joshua Woods, was to be buried Wednesday in Schererville, Ind.

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