FAA revokes licenses of wayward pilots
Agency cites failure to heed instructions, operating plane recklessly
As reported by the AP
U.S. government regulators have revoked the licenses of the two airline pilots who flew an Airbus passenger jet past their Minneapolis destination by 150 miles last week.
The Federal Aviation Administration said Tuesday the Northwest Airlines pilots had violated numerous regulations, including failing to comply with air traffic control instructions and clearances and operating carelessly and recklessly.
The pilots — first officer Richard Cole and captain Timothy Cheney — told investigators they lost track of time and place while working on their laptop computers.
The pilots' union had cautioned against a rush to judgment. The pilots, who said they had no previous accidents or safety incidents, have 10 days to appeal the emergency revocation.
The National Transportation Safety Board has not taken or examined the laptops that the pilots were using, spokesman Ted Lopatkiewicz said Tuesday.
"The pilots said they were using them. So I don't know what any examination of them" would do to further the investigation, Lopatkiewicz said.
Suspended from jobs
Delta Air Lines Inc., which acquired Northwest last year, has suspended the two pilots pending an investigation.
Capt. Lee Moak, chairman of Delta's pilots' union, said on Tuesday he's concerned the NTSB's disclosure of the pilot statements will hurt voluntary safety programs meant to allow pilots to come forward with safety concerns.
"We have an ongoing investigation and we shouldn't have a rush to judgment," Moak said.
The NTSB said the pilots denied they had fallen asleep, as aviation experts have suggested. Instead, Cole and Cheney said they both had their laptops out while the first officer, who had more experience with scheduling, instructed the captain on monthly flight crew scheduling.
While Cole and Cheney were able to turn their plane around and land safely, pilots and aviation safety experts said the episode is likely to cause NTSB and the Federal Aviation Administration to take a hard look at the use of laptops and other personal electronic devices in the cockpit.
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Distracted flying becomes new concern
No specific ban
There are no federal rules that specifically ban pilots' use of laptops or other personal electronic devices as long as the plane is flying above 10,000 feet, said Diane Spitaliere, an FAA spokeswoman.
Delta said in a statement that using laptops or engaging in activity unrelated to the pilots' command of the aircraft during flight is strictly against the airline's flight deck policies. The airline said violations of that policy will result in termination
Agency cites failure to heed instructions, operating plane recklessly
As reported by the AP
U.S. government regulators have revoked the licenses of the two airline pilots who flew an Airbus passenger jet past their Minneapolis destination by 150 miles last week.
The Federal Aviation Administration said Tuesday the Northwest Airlines pilots had violated numerous regulations, including failing to comply with air traffic control instructions and clearances and operating carelessly and recklessly.
The pilots — first officer Richard Cole and captain Timothy Cheney — told investigators they lost track of time and place while working on their laptop computers.
The pilots' union had cautioned against a rush to judgment. The pilots, who said they had no previous accidents or safety incidents, have 10 days to appeal the emergency revocation.
The National Transportation Safety Board has not taken or examined the laptops that the pilots were using, spokesman Ted Lopatkiewicz said Tuesday.
"The pilots said they were using them. So I don't know what any examination of them" would do to further the investigation, Lopatkiewicz said.
Suspended from jobs
Delta Air Lines Inc., which acquired Northwest last year, has suspended the two pilots pending an investigation.
Capt. Lee Moak, chairman of Delta's pilots' union, said on Tuesday he's concerned the NTSB's disclosure of the pilot statements will hurt voluntary safety programs meant to allow pilots to come forward with safety concerns.
"We have an ongoing investigation and we shouldn't have a rush to judgment," Moak said.
The NTSB said the pilots denied they had fallen asleep, as aviation experts have suggested. Instead, Cole and Cheney said they both had their laptops out while the first officer, who had more experience with scheduling, instructed the captain on monthly flight crew scheduling.
While Cole and Cheney were able to turn their plane around and land safely, pilots and aviation safety experts said the episode is likely to cause NTSB and the Federal Aviation Administration to take a hard look at the use of laptops and other personal electronic devices in the cockpit.
Click for related content
Distracted flying becomes new concern
No specific ban
There are no federal rules that specifically ban pilots' use of laptops or other personal electronic devices as long as the plane is flying above 10,000 feet, said Diane Spitaliere, an FAA spokeswoman.
Delta said in a statement that using laptops or engaging in activity unrelated to the pilots' command of the aircraft during flight is strictly against the airline's flight deck policies. The airline said violations of that policy will result in termination
I do, however, hear Center having one-sided conversations all the time, as they seem to generally leave *all* their transmitters operating when working combined sectors.
