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SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2009
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9

Naptime Nothing New for Pilots

Cole, Cheney interview by NTSB investigators

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(Newser) – Pilot naps and arguments are hardly unique in airline screw ups, statistics reveal as investigators try to figure out what caused Northwest Airlines flight 188 to overshoot its destination airport by 155 miles. Pilots Timothy Cheney and Richard Cole, who were interviewed yesterday NTSB investigators, claim they missed the Minneapolis airport because they were distracted by an intense argument. That story recalls an Eastern Airlines flight that crashed in 1974 after the pilots angrily argued about Richard Nixon's pardon.

But several investigators believe Cheney and Cole nodded off. A review by the Allied Pilots Association found several cases of unauthorized pilot naps. In one instance, an anonymous pilot recalled dozing off on an overnight flight to South America, reports USA Today. "When I woke up, I looked over at the captain. He was sound asleep," recalled the co-pilot. "I estimate that we were both asleep for 30 minutes. Just lucky that nothing happened."

The Minneapolis skyline rises through the rain as an arriving Northwest Airlines jet taxis at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport last week.
The Minneapolis skyline rises through the rain as an arriving Northwest Airlines jet taxis at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport last week.   (AP Photo/Jim Mone)
This map shows the bizarre flight path of Northwest airlines 188.
This map shows the bizarre flight path of Northwest airlines 188.   (AP Photo/FlightAware.com)
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9 comments
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Netstorm2k9
Oct 26, 09 4:06 AM CDT
Well, with all the auto-pilot, radar, safety features, etc, it's not like they were flying a Cesna and fell asleep. Bit of a difference. Still, that's why there is more than one person in the cockpit. What's the problem with taking turns? Reply
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IN RESPONSE:
DarkFrancis
Oct 26, 09 5:47 AM CDT
In case the other one falls asleep? I'm not allowed to take a nap during my work day, and I work on the ground, with no responsibility for people's lives.
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IN RESPONSE:
Mia
Oct 26, 09 8:13 AM CDT
The problem lies in the fact that they both fell asleep. That's the only other explanation unless they were screwing each other in a "heated" tussle
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IN RESPONSE:
dontlikeyou
Oct 26, 09 10:20 AM CDT
There is no proof that these pilots were napping. The media tries people on their pages without regard to the truth.
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IN RESPONSE:
tomodachi
Oct 26, 09 1:48 PM CDT
The proof is in the fact that they refused (or were unable) to respond to repeated attempts of communication from air traffic controllers... combined with the fact that they flew beyond the airport. The media sucks... but don't lose focus on the facts. Who here wants to put their children on an airplane where the cockpit refuses to communicate with air traffic control... and misses the airport by 150 miles?
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