Posted on 10/27/2009 8:49:18 PM PDT by presidio9
The licenses of the two Northwest Airlines pilots involved in last week's "overflying" incident were revoked today by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), a day after Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., called for a ban on using laptop computers in airline cockpits.
The San Diego-to-Minneapolis flight overshot its destination by 150 miles because the pilots were apparently online in the cockpit (though they initially told investigators that they were distracted by a "conversation") and missed the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. They didn't realize their mistake until they had reached Eau Claire, Wis., at which point they turned around and flew back to Minneapolis.
Air traffic controllers and airline officials tried repeatedly to reach the pilots without success.
On Monday, Franken publicly called for a ban on using laptops in cockpits.
"We don't tolerate texting while driving, and we're certainly not standing for it while flying," Franken thundered in a statement. "It would be unthinkable to allow a driver to use a laptop. A driver responsible for the lives of dozens, if not hundreds, of passengers needs to be that much more focused on the job."
The FAA announced the license revocations today, citing violations of a number of federal regulations, including failing to comply with air traffic control instructions and clearances and operating "carelessly and recklessly."
The pilots have 10 days to appeal the revocations to the National Transportation Safety Board.
(Franken's pronouncement settled an office bet over which of Minnesota's two senators would be the first to publicly decry the incident. But although Franken won this round, Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., took up her own cudgels today against motivational speaker James Arthur Ray, who conducted a sweat lodge ceremony earlier this month in Arizona in which three people -- including a Prior Lake woman -- died.)
Thank you! This post reminded me of a very important question:
What is the origin of the term “cockpit?”
Anyone?
The senator from ACORN has spoken.
My ass these guys were on their laptops, but I’ll a stew or two were.
On Monday [May 11,2009], Delta Air Lines, which became the world's largest carrier after its merger last year with Northwest Airlines, announced that it has WiFi on 139 planes, or about half of its mainline domestic fleet, and will have the rest finished by September. The carrier also expects to complete outfitting all 200 jets in Northwest's domestic fleet next year.
“Do you like Gladiator movies, Bobby?”
Tommy: R.T., I think I figured it out the problem. This order is going to Columbus. That’s a one-day delivery, but you’ve got it marked down for two.
R.T., Shipping Foreman: That’s because it’s going to Columbus, Georgia. Not Columbus, Ohio.
[he shows Tommy the shipping address]
R.T., Shipping Foreman: You see these letters by the city? That’s called a state. What else you got, Wonder Boy?
Tommy: Uh... that’s pretty much it for now.
R.T., Shipping Foreman: Hey, Tommy, maybe you should go back to college for another seven years and study a globe.
In the cabin... cockpits are sterile except for communications with the company/dispatch.
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