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.)
I’d still be more embarassed about the Twins at the moment.
I am convinced that Bachmann fans dont eat toxic lutefisk
Video games or porn? Or were they checking out Free Republic?
Where is Captain Obvious when you need him?
That might explain why Senator Franken chose them as his first official political project.
Can you get the internet in the cockpit of a plane at 30,000 feet? If the pilots could not get on the internet, Besides watching DVD’s, what use or fun would a lap-top be to keep them so engrossed for 76 minutes?
The story still does not seem complete.
Captain Obvious can't be making an appearance every time Senator Franken opens his mouth.
His early routine in comedy (which Jerry Seinfeld stole and perfected) consisted of pointing out the irony of everyday coincidences.
losing a mere hour and a half ain't NOTHING whilst FReeping.
Smells funny. First the Department of Transportation doesn’t issue licsenses. Second, a 10 day letter is the most that can be delivered. it in no way suspends, removes or requires the surrender of any certificate issued by the FDOT.
Northwest Airlines has more stringent rules. If the flight crew involved has been suspended it was NWA which envoked the suspension. Not the FAA or FDOT.
Grandstanding buffoon.
They are already banned.
You’re on the something there.
Sorry... BS meter is still pegged. You don’t ignore Air Traffic Control for 1.5 hours for browsing on the internet. These guys were asleep.
You would be correct if the airplanes were there for ATC.
ATC is there for the airplanes, not the other way around.
Regan proved it when he fired PATCO in 1982.
I vote to ban Al....
I was wondering the same thing and was hoping someone would provide an answer.
Franken, you idiot!
Which would you rather have:
Pilots accessing their manuals and FAA regs with a few keystrokes on a laptop.
OR
Pilots carting stacks of binders into the cockpit and being forced to sift and flip through numerous books during an emergency.
By all means, let’s be really safe and ban laptops in the cockpit.
“Can you get the internet in the cockpit of a plane at 30,000 feet?”
Nay.
It must have been a real tense auction on Ebay.
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