The incident raised fears of a possible hijacking

 

The two Northwest Airlines pilots whose plane overshot its destination by 150 miles on Wednesday say they were using their laptop computers. The federal agency investigating the incident quoted the pilots as saying they had accessed their personal computers during the flight. Contact with the Northwest Airlines jet was lost for more than an hour before it landed in Minneapolis.

 

The use of personal computers on the flight deck violates company policy. The National Transportation Safety Board released a statement on Monday after interviewing the two pilots separately on Sunday for more than five hours. The agency said both pilots denied speculation that they had been tired or fallen asleep during the flight. They said they "had lost track of time" as they discussed a new crew flight scheduling system and accessed their personal computers at the same time.

 

They admitted that during their discussion, they did not monitor calls from air traffic controllers, nor did they notice messages sent by company dispatchers. They stated that they had been unaware of the plane's position until a flight attendant asked them about their estimated time of arrival five minutes prior to their scheduled landing.

 

It was only at this point, the captain said, that he became aware that his plane carrying 147 passengers from San Diego had overshot Minneapolis-St Paul International/Wold-Chamberlain Airport. In total, the pilots were out of communication with air traffic controllers for more than an hour, sparking fears that their plane had been hijacked.

 

Fighter jets from the National Guard were put on alert to chase the airliner, although they did not take off. Asked by air traffic control what was wrong, the pilots cited "cockpit distraction". They have been suspended.

 

The investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board continues, with the flight attendants scheduled to be interviewed later on Monday.

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/8327073.stm

Just imagine their twitter updates.

:)

lawsuit

they've got 140 characters!

I would have been freaking out if I was on that plane.

you probably wouldn't have known anything about it until afterwards when you read the news!

This is being made into something dramatic and huge, it's not. There are thousands of flights every day, I'm surprised it doesn't happen more often.

But the plane went too far, we're all going to die if it happens again and the media doesn't talk about it all the time.

Those pilots probably overshoot at everything, even pissing. Their bathroom floors must be swimming in it.

strange, if is not allowed why they brought their personal computers?

don't they have enough fun with the buttons and keys they have to control on their pilot area, that they need to use their laptops?

 

i guess it worked via wifi?

 

for what i know even mobile use is forbidden on a plane, at least on the take off and landing moments, when you are up the clouds is all ok. :thinking:

This is being made into something dramatic and huge, it's not. There are thousands of flights every day, I'm surprised it doesn't happen more often.

 

it probably does.. but the pilots are paying attention... I assume. I haven't heard of any other planes being out of contact for more than 30min. in the air. My take on it.. I think they were using the laptops as an excuse... who knows.. maybe they were cyber sexing or something and lost track of time... lol

 

But the plane went too far, we're all going to die if it happens again and the media doesn't talk about it all the time.

 

oh its not that dramatic... :P they didn't almost crash or anything.. but it is disturbing... who knows if they would have over shot for more than 150 mi.?! (was that the distance? I forget) But either way... I guess you've got a point.. remember the plane that crashed in Buffalo last year... :(

Don't planes fly themselves once up in the air with auto-pilot?