[old curmudgeon]

I think you are right. They fell asleep.

And for those who think you can't while flying, I knew a very good charter pilot who fell asleep flying a Beech BE95 (Travel Air) back in the 1960’s and went in a parking lot somewhere in Maryland. High speed, straight in.

There have been many many incidents, some fatal, some serious and some funny regarding pilots falling asleep.

Frankly, I think they screwed themselves because there is an excuse for falling asleep and they might have salvaged their careers, although been demoted, but playing with laptops?

That is inexcusable. You will recall that early on in your career it was drummed into your head that above all else, fly the airplane. Everything else is #2 or lower on the list. Even communications with air traffic control, important as they are, do not take precedence over flying the airplane.

Weather radar, setting way points, sick passengers,...a pilot has lots of potential distractions that must not be allowed to break rule #1...fly the airplane.

And those who do not follow that rule end up decorating the landscape with aluminum. One of the most outstanding examples of what happens to those who do not is the story of an aircraft, I forget what...seems like a Connie, back in the early sixties or maybe even earlier that flew into the FL swamps because the crew was obsessing over replacing a landing gear warning light. They thought the aircraft was on auto pilot but they did not have altitude hold engaged and it slowly descended into the swamp.

My point is that they knowingly and intentionally, if their story is true which I doubt, violated the most important rule in aviation: FLY THE AIRPLANE comes first.

So they should be terminated for either breaking that rule or lying.

[NCLaw441]

You posted, in part: Frankly, I think they screwed themselves...
***
I think you may be on to something... I wonder what their wives have to say about what happened...

15 to 20 minutes to go 150 miles... hmmm... what might preoccupy someone, or two people, for that amount of time???

[Ditto]

One of the most outstanding examples of what happens to those who do not is the story of an aircraft, I forget what...seems like a Connie, back in the early sixties or maybe even earlier that flew into the FL swamps because the crew was obsessing over replacing a landing gear warning light.

It was in 1972... an Eastern Airlines L-1011 wide body. It was the classic (and tragic) example of worring about the wrong malfunction. I recall it well because at the time, I flew Eastern often into Miami on L-1011s.

[saganite]

You are correct that flying the plane is #1. In my Air Force days the saying was Aviate, Navigate, Communicate. In that order. The plane that flew into the Florida swamp was an L-1011.