Pilots on wayward U.S. jetliner using laptops

Reuters October 27, 2009, 9:01 am

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WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Pilots of a Northwest Airlines jetliner that overshot its destination by 150 miles last week told U.S. investigators they became distracted during an extended discussion of crew scheduling that included their use of personal laptops, officials said on Monday.

"The pilots said there was a concentrated period of discussion where they did not monitor the airplane or calls from (air traffic controllers) even though both stated they heard conversation on the radio," the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said after interviewing the pair on Sunday.

"Both said they lost track of time," the safety board said in a report on its investigation, which included disclosures about the nature of the conversation and the use of laptop computers.

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The two veteran commercial pilots said they were not fatigued during the evening flight on October 21 from San Diego to Minneapolis, countering speculation they may have fallen asleep.

Air controllers and airline dispatchers sought to contact Flight 188, an Airbus A320 with 144 passengers, for more than an hour with the plane at 37,000 feet.

Neither pilot was aware of the plane's wayward state until a flight attendant asked them about their scheduled arrival time, the NTSB said.

The captain looked at his flight display data, realized the mistake and then contacted controllers for permission to turn around. The plane landed without incident in Minneapolis.

Delta Air Lines, which owns Northwest, said in a statement the use of laptops or "engaging in activity unrelated to" flying the aircraft violates company policy.

The airline has suspended the pilots pending the outcome of government and internal investigations. They could be fired, Delta said.

The pilots said they were discussing new monthly crew schedules, which were put in place as a result of Northwest's merger with Delta in 2008.

Investigators are also reviewing information from the plane's flight data recorder.

(Reporting by John Crawley; editing by Todd Eastham)

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Pan Psuchopompos 07:39pm Tuesday 27th October 2009 EST Report Abuse
I read about their Atlas Rocket been send up to bomb the moon but as yet I got no reply. Perhaps NASA would like to brush the surface of moon abnormalities? perhaps they could be looking for water?
Pan Psuchopompos 07:35pm Tuesday 27th October 2009 EST Report Abuse
Why did NASA send a bomb to the moon?
Pan Psuchopompos 07:08pm Tuesday 27th October 2009 EST Report Abuse
I wrote to NASA space agency about those cylinders a few weeks ago and as yet I did not received a reply.
Pan Psuchopompos 07:03pm Tuesday 27th October 2009 EST Report Abuse
Has anyone watch those cylindrical objects around the Saturn rings? It is said that those Cylinders are as large as the width of our Earth. A number of pictures were taken by the Hubble and it was taken on infrared photo.
Aidan 06:23pm Tuesday 27th October 2009 EST Report Abuse
Good judgement comes from experience!!! Experience comes from bad judgement. It all turned out well in the end!!! No one hurt, only their pride!!
Aidan 06:16pm Tuesday 27th October 2009 EST Report Abuse
In matters of truth and justice, there is no difference between large and small problems, for issues concerning the treatment of people are all the same.
Pan Psuchopompos 05:29pm Tuesday 27th October 2009 EST Report Abuse
What did Albert Einstein meant by his comments?
Pan Psuchopompos 05:27pm Tuesday 27th October 2009 EST Report Abuse
"If my theory of relativity proves to be correct, Germany will claim me a German,and France will claim me a citizen of the world. However, if it proves wrong,France will say I’m a German, and Germany will say that I’m a jew." --By Albert Einstein
Pan Psuchopompos 05:23pm Tuesday 27th October 2009 EST Report Abuse
I would get these two pilots fly them over the Atlantic ocean at 35 thousand feet, and drop them without parachute.
Tony 05:16pm Tuesday 27th October 2009 EST Report Abuse
could be the pilot was gay. The co pilot "came out" they celebrated by joining the mile high club and, as you do in those rapturous moments, lost track of time. It might sould implausible but it makes more sense than their explanation.