We all know that texting while driving is dangerous. Hell, texting while walking can even get you killed. But, texting using a laptop while flying an Airbus 320, that just ups the bar on stupidity. Two Northwest Airlines pilots flew past their destination by 150 miles last week. Neither pilot was aware of their location until a flight attendant asked them when the plane would be landing. The plane landed around an hour after it was scheduled to arrive.

Each pilot accessed and used his personal laptop computer while they discussed the airline crew flight scheduling procedure, the report said.

The first officer, who was more familiar with the procedure, was providing instruction to the captain.”Neither pilot said he was aware of where the plane was until a flight attendant called the cockpit about five minutes before the plane was to have landed and asked their estimated time of arrival, the report said.

The captain said, at that point, he looked at his primary flight display for an ETA and realized that they had passed the airport, it added. After 78 minutes of radio silence, the pilots re-established radio contact with air traffic controllers.

Both Pilot Timothy B. Cheney (20,000 hours) and First Officer Richard I. Cole (11,000 hours) have extensive amounts of flight time. The FAA has revoked both of the pilots' licenses for their computer usage. The pilots claim they were using their laptops to check scheduling. The NTSB (not to be mistaken for NKOTB) released a statement informing the public that the use of personal laptops while flying a commercial airliner is against airline policy. No shit?

The 144 passengers of Northwest Flight 188 were all given $500 travel vouchers for the inconvenience.

via CNN