Laptops Cited for Pilot Inattention
Crew Points to Discussion of Scheduling Issues to Explain Overshooting Destination
Andy Pasztor
The pilots of Northwest Flight 188 who overshot their destination told investigators that they were poring over their personal laptops in the cockpit while frantic air-traffic controllers were trying to establish contact. That was part of a sequence of events -- along with an unfortunately timed bathroom break and a chat with a flight attendant in the cockpit -- that distracted the pilots and caused them to fall out of radio contact with controllers for more than an hour. ENLARGE
An image from a video Friday of Richard Cole, first officer on Northwest Flight 188, at his home in Oregon.
Air safety experts have said investigators may never be able to conclusively back up the version of events laid out by the pilots of Flight 188, partly because the cockpit voice recorder captured only the last 30 minutes of some conversation. Even portions of that were later mistakenly recorded over by mechanics. Investigators for the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration continue to pursue other possible theories, including that the crew may have nodded off at the controls. But the airline's officials believe the pilots' version of the events. The flight's saga -- during which controllers worried the jetliner might have been hijacked -- appears to offer examples of two of the biggest safety hazards in commercial aviation: lax cockpit discipline and pilot complacency. Commercial pilots are finding they have less to do during routine portions of flights as engines, navigation devices and automated flight-management systems have become more sophisticated and reliable. More Middle Seat: Complacency in the Cockpit Equipment malfunctions occur so rarely that one of the biggest worries among safety experts is how to keep pilots engaged in monitoring flight instruments. Crews, meanwhile, look for ways to fill idle time on long flights, sometimes leading to spells of inattention. No mechanical problems were reported aboard the Airbus A320 during last week's flight. The jetliner was cruising on autopilot at 37,000 feet. The two pilots, Capt. Timothy B. Cheney and first officer Richard Cole, hold unblemished training records and are highly experienced at the controls of the A320. The missteps began when a female flight attendant brought meals into the cockpit and the captain ducked out for a bathroom break, according to people familiar with the details The flight attendant stayed inside the cockpit for a brief chat, just as controllers were instructing the crew to switch to another radio frequency. The co-pilot, engaged in conversation with her, missed the instruction, and the captain didn't return until later, according to consultant Greg Feith, a former safety board investigator. As the plane crossed state lines, neither pilot realized the jet no longer was on the correct radio frequency and that controllers were growing worried about their failure to stay in contact. ENLARGE
This still image from video courtesy of ABC News shows Northwest Airlines First Officer Richard I. Cole in Salem, Oregon.
The pilots continued to hear radio chatter, but told investigators they didn't notice that they hadn't heard from a controller for a long time. The aircraft was traveling unusually fast as it neared Minneapolis, due to a stiff tailwind, according to Mr. Feith. That may have added to the crew's confusion about the plane's position. Investigators said the pilots recounted that they became engrossed in a heated discussion about a newly designed work-schedule system -- a controversial topic among pilots since Northwest was merged with Delta Air Lines Inc.
Both pilots retrieved their laptops, and the first officer demonstrated to the captain how the new scheduling system worked. During what the safety board described as a "concentrated period of discussion," neither pilot monitored the progress of the airplane nor air-traffic control communications. The pilots failed to notice when Northwest dispatchers sent repeated messages that popped up on the cockpit display screens. Five minutes before the scheduled landing, a flight attendant called the cockpit on the intercom to inquire about preparing the cabin for landing. It was then, the pilots told investigators, that they realized they had overshot Minneapolis and re-established contact with controllers. When controllers quizzed the pilots about what happened, the terse response was "just cockpit distraction" and "dealing with company issues," according to an NTSB summary. Though pilots say it happens relatively infrequently, cockpit crews do open up personal laptops while cruising in good weather during quiet periods when automated flight-management systems are fully engaged. Crossword puzzles, magazines and other diversions are more common. But no amount of automation reduces the responsibility of today's pilots to carefully listen and respond to ground controllers. According to some pilots, members of other crews have even been known to play DVDs on laptops in the cockpit to pass the time on particularly long overwater and international flights. Federal safety rules prohibit laptops in cockpits below 10,000 feet, but allow them during cruise. However, Delta put out a statement saying the airline expressly forbids pilots from using laptops at any time or engaging in personal activity that could distract from flight duties. The pilots have told associates that Northwest's procedures, which are being integrated with Delta's, allowed laptop use at cruise altitude. The FAA has signaled it plans to suspend or revoke their licenses. According to investigators, the Northwest jet's cockpit voice recorder only picked up radio transmissions between the crew and controllers, not any direct discussion between the pilots themselves. That is likely to further reduce the amount of useful information that can be retrieved to buttress the pilots' chronology. In its summary Monday, the safety board also disclosed that during most of the incident the pilots didn't have headsets on to keep tabs on air-traffic control. Instead, according to investigators, the crew reported using speakers built into a portion of the cockpit to listen to radio communications at cruise altitude. Investigators said they are still examining the plane's flight-data recorder to try to unravel crew activity. Write to Andy Pasztor at  Save Article