Northwest Pilots: We Want to Fly

After a week of discussions, debates and closed-door conversations, the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration revoked the licenses of the Northwest Airlines pilots who missed their Minneapolis mark by 150 miles because they were distracted by their laptops.

Now comes word that the two pilots - Capt. Timothy Cheney and First Officer Richard Cole - have filed appeals of their license revocations.

The appeals, which were filed this week, are typically reviewed by an administrative law judge with the board within 120 days, said NTSB spokesman Ted Lopatkiewicz in a statement.

The FAA said the pilots put the 144 passengers of Northwest Flight 188 in serious danger on Oct. 21 when they missed calls and alerts from tower control and their airline, after they flew 150 passed the Minneapolis Airport.

In earlier reports, Cheney and Cole told investigators they lost track of time and place while working on crew scheduling on their laptops. When realizing they had missed their landing, the pilots turned the plane around and landed safely in Minneapolis.

Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., introduced a bill Thursday to ban nonessential electronics, including personal laptops, from the cockpit.

"We simply want to ensure that, with all of the electronic distractions available these days, flying the plane remains the one and only focus," Menendez said in a statement.

Cheapflights wants to know what you think: Do you think the FAA should allow the pilots to fly again?

© Cheapflights Ltd Melanie Nayer

Comments

[Punked Pilot]

Very appropriate action by the FAA. The NTSB Administrative law judge will likely agree. The pilots are just delaying the inevitable. The Revocation period will only begin when the Revocation order is affirmed by the NTSB now that they are appealing. It will be one year after the revocation is in effect before they can begin their journey back to flying. The revocation will take with it any ratings previously held. They will retain their experience so building flight time for a rating won't be a problem. When they do start back on the road to piloting, they will have to first obtain a "Student Pilot certificate" and still be medically qualified, then take a written test for "Private Pilot" get at least three hours of training from an instructor and then take a flight test for 'private pilot' then for each additional step such as "Instrument Airplane" at least three more hours and a witten and a flight test. It will likely take a good bit of time and money to just get back to a 'Commercial Pilot' with the ratings necessary to he hired. Even more to be an "Airline Transport Pilot" and those jet type ratings won't magically reappear. This is in terms of making a living, a huge hit. Even with all the new certificates ... Who will be in a hurry to hire them?

[sea]

What do you expect. They don't pay the pilots much of a salary today so of course there are going to be incidents like this. At least these guys had enough experience to correct their mistake. Do you think they would ever do it again? Really? No one got killed. Can't say the same for Colgan 3407. So, take away the license of two guys with decades of experience and replace them with the likes of Marvin Renslow..... Brilliant!

[Jim Peck]

They should go directly to jail while they are waiting on their appeal. If they get their licensess back, I will stop flying!