Q: When the Northwest Airline pilots overshot their Minneapolis destination by 150 miles, how many minutes did that take?

By Lori Johnston

For the AJC

Q: When the Northwest Airline pilots overshot their Minneapolis destination by 150 miles, how many minutes did that take? —Fran Jordan, Norcross

A: Flight 188 overflew Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport at 7:58 p.m. and landed at 9:05 p.m., according to the Minneapolis Star Tribune and St. Paul Pioneer Press. Air traffic controllers last had radio contact with the plane about 7 p.m., when it was over Kansas, and re-established radio contact when the plane was over Wisconsin at 8:14 p.m. The Star Tribune reports that the plane, which overshot the airport by 150 miles, turned around in Wisconsin at 8:19 p.m.

Q: The story that I read said that the man (Dick Rupert, 68, of Winder, who was bitten by a rattlesnake while hunting in Oglethorpe County) got medical help within an hour but died anyway. With the bite occurring on his calf, relatively far from his heart, were there other complications that caused him to die? 
— Fred Scanling, Big Canoe

A: Oglethorpe County Coroner James Mathews said one of three things could have contributed to his death. Rupert might have overexerted himself after being bitten by the rattlesnake by running to a four-wheeler, which sped up his heart rate. An underlying condition was Rupert’s high blood pressure, he said, and if his blood pressure increased, the venom could have gone to his heart. Mathews said another factor could have been anaphylactic shock, caused by the snake’s venom. Rupert was unresponsive within 20 minutes of the bite, Mathews said.

Lori Johnston wrote this column. Do you have a question about the news? We’ll try to get the answer. Call 404-222-2002 or e-mail q&a@ajc.com (include name, phone and city).