Unresponsive NW plane - UPDATE: They were on their laptops (post #39, pg 3)

[Deb in IA]

I'll bet Capt. Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger wouldn't be on his laptop in the cockpit.

Maybe they should get a bunch of those plastic bracelets for all airline pilots with "WWSD" (What Would Sully Do) on them.

 

[SaraJayne]

 

[diznygirl]

I knew it - they were DISing.

Don't we all lose track of time spent here?

 

[EMom]

Gee, sounds like the equivalent of texting while driving to me.

I know I wouldn't want those two yahoos in the cockpit of any plane I was on.

 

[Jennasis]

Schedules? Pulease. I'd bet they were checkng out porn.

 

[CindyCan]

Okay, I'm going to play devil's advocate here & say...probably not the only ones doing it; just the ones that got caught?

I think because they both were on their laptops, that's an indication that they both thought it was okay.

Just my opinion...

 

[agnes!]

Schedules? Pulease. I'd bet they were checkng out porn.

Heheheheh....whatever they were doing, unless they physically destroyed their laptops (and by that I mean melted beyond recognition/smashed to bits/etc)?...oh mama, those CSI folks are going to have a field day with this one. People actually think that when they delete stuff of their computers that it just goes poof and there's no evidence left behind?

I can hardly WAIT for the NTSB/FBI/FAA investigations to be completed.

agnes!

 

[MiniGirl]

Well, that's their story and they're sticking to it. LOL!!!!

I still say they fell asleep. I've been in a cockpit during flight and it is really hard to ignore all the radio calls. The article even said they had other planes trying to contact them, but it took a call from a f/a to jolt them back. No way, and I'm sorry. The airline schedules (bid lines) are not so exciting that they would spend over an hour so engrossed in them. I don't buy it.

They knew they were in trouble. Falling asleep is an automatic termination AND loss of your FAA license -- meaning they couldn't fly any more. Getting suspended (or even fired) but keeping your license is much more desirable.

 

[Deb in IA]

Schedules? Pulease. I'd bet they were checkng out porn.

Yeah, I'm sure that thought has crossed many a mind. I'm sure the NTSB is going over the laptops' most recent downloads with a fine toothed comb . . .

 

[Octoberbride03]

Well, that's their story and they're sticking to it. LOL!!!!

I still say they fell asleep. I've been in a cockpit during flight and it is really hard to ignore all the radio calls. The article even said they had other planes trying to contact them, but it took a call from a f/a to jolt them back. No way, and I'm sorry. The airline schedules (bid lines) are not so exciting that they would spend over an hour so engrossed in them. I don't buy it.

They knew they were in trouble. Falling asleep is an automatic termination AND loss of your FAA license -- meaning they couldn't fly any more. Getting suspended (or even fired) but keeping your license is much more desirable.

Yes, but their problem is that the suspensions are not coming from the airline. Its a license suspension from the FAA. Good luck to them whatever they were playing with online.

And I gotta say.....how can your schedule be THAT interesting

I'll be checking back in a few months to see what the computer forensics finds.

 

[Deb in IA]

They knew they were in trouble. Falling asleep is an automatic termination AND loss of your FAA license -- meaning they couldn't fly any more. Getting suspended (or even fired) but keeping your license is much more desirable.

The FAA is expected to revoke their licenses as early as today.

The passengers are being offered a $500 rebate.

And Northwest Airlines has suffered immeasurable embarrassment.

 

[Eeyore'sthebest]

I knew it - they were DISing.

Don't we all lose track of time spent here?

I was thinking the exact same thing.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

The FAA is expected to revoke their licenses as early as today.

The passengers are being offered a $500 rebate.

And Northwest Airlines has suffered immeasurable embarrassment.

Guess they don't need to worry about their schedules anymore.

 

[Jennasis]

The FAA is expected to revoke their licenses as early as today.

The passengers are being offered a $500 rebate.

And Northwest Airlines has suffered immeasurable embarrassment.

Ouch. So pilots...was it worth it? Was it THAT important to "check your schedules" in-flight? I think not. I can't imagine any pilot would think it was...which is why I don't believe they were looking at their schedules.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

And they did lose their licenses, but have 10 days to appeal.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/10/27/airliner.fly.by/index.html

The letter to Northwest Captain Timothy B. Cheney and First Officer Richard I. Cole puts the total time the pilots maintained radio silence at 91 minutes -- 13 minutes longer than originally defined by federal investigators.

The letter said the pilots were "extremely reckless."

"Not only did you not comply with ... [air traffic controller] instructions, you did not even monitor the aircraft's air-ground radios," the letter said. "You were disengaged and impervious to the serious threat to your own safety, as well as the safety of people for whom you are responsible. This is a total dereliction and disregard for your duties."

 

[Jennasis]

We all saw it coming. My favorite part of the revocation letter was that they were "on a FROLIC of their own."

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

We all saw it coming. My favorite part of the revocation letter was that they were "on a FROLIC of their own."

I think the FAA deserves their own tag for that.

 

[ZachnElli]

I'm thinking it was either porn or they were playing WOW or a WOW equivalant (World of Warcraft for you non-gamers). WOW is incredibly addictive and people tend to lose all track of time playing it.

 

[Jennasis]

"Umm Captain...the tower is calling."

"Not now. I'm smiting an orc!"

 

[*BTMRR*]

Schedules? Pulease. I'd bet they were checkng out porn.

Nah, I agree with the other posters--it had to have been the DIS!

Actually, my aviator friends' guess is that the pilots were indeed asleep. They can't imagine that the pilots were able to ignore all the communications efforts unless they were sound asleep.