Stray Airline Pilots Admit Playing On Their Laptops And Losing Track Of Time

While 144 passengers sat quietly in their seats,  two pilots for Northwest Airlines were distracted using their laptop computers. It seems that the pilots not only ignored repeated radio requests from air traffic controllers but also messages sent by the airline company. Both pilots appear to have ample flight hours and are considered veteran pilots. What is disturbing about this incident is that we the public have no idea how many other pilots are playing on their laptops during flights.

In a recent CNN article it states:

The pilots said there was “a concentrated period of discussion where they did not monitor the airplane or calls” from air traffic control, though both said they heard conversation on the radio, the report said.

Neither pilot said he noticed messages sent by company dispatchers, it added. It said the men were talking about the new monthly crew flight scheduling system put into place in the wake of Northwest’s merger with Delta Air Lines.

“Each pilot accessed and used his personal laptop computer while they discussed the airline crew flight scheduling procedure,” the report said.

“The first officer, who was more familiar with the procedure, was providing instruction to the captain.”Neither pilot said he was aware of where the plane was until a flight attendant called the cockpit about five minutes before the plane was to have landed and asked their estimated time of arrival, the report said.

“The captain said, at that point, he looked at his primary flight display for an ETA and realized that they had passed” the airport, it added. After 78 minutes of radio silence, the pilots re-established radio contact with air traffic controllers, it said.

This is just one more incident in which technology has distracted people from their duties and could have potentially caused a serious situation. Isn’t it about time that cell phone calling and texting, plus laptop use, or any other distracting device be prohibited from use while operating any type of transportation?

Or as we as a society just going to sit back and watch more people become injured and die because of stupidity on the part of some people?

Comments welcome.

CNN source