Video Shows a How a Laptop Blocks Instruments on Airbus

[See update at bottom] The strange case of Northwest Flight 188 that we reported last week got even stranger Monday after the NTSB released details of their interviews with the pilots. The aircraft had been out of communication with ATC for 78 minutes, leading to widespread speculation that the crew had fallen asleep. Over the weekend, some Delta safety officials hinted that this was not the case and on Monday the NTSB interviewed Captain Timothy Cheney and First Officer Richard Cole individually for 5 hours each. According to a Delta spokesman, the pilots were "using laptops or engaging in activity unrelated to pilots' command of the aircraft during flight" which they described as against company policy. Delta owns Northwest Airlines.

Jon Ostrower of FlightBlogger has released a YouTube video that shows the pull out tray available for pilots to use while working in an Airbus A320 cockpit. As he points out in the video, placing a laptop on the pull out tray would block a pilot’s view of the cockpit instruments. Airbus was able to include the pull out tray in their cockpits since, instead of a center-mounted yoke, they incorporate a side stick for aircraft control.

Personally, I find the pilots’ explanations credible though indefensible. One of a pilot’s primary responsibilities is to maintain situation awareness. Anyone who has used a computer understands that it’s possible to become so totally focused and engaged in using one that outside stimuli go unnoticed. It’s little wonder that Delta bans the use of laptop computers in the cockpit.

I wonder if the incident may result in more calls for the installation of cameras on the flight deck. Last year, Virgin America pilots went to court to have cameras removed from their flight decks but the court held that the cameras could stay. It seems likely that other airlines will install cameras in the future. Hopefully they won’t make the video feed available to passengers—I’m not sure I want to see what’s happening in the cockpit!

UPDATE: 2:30 PM. This afternoon, the FAA announced the revocation of the pilot's licenses. The press release reads: "The Federal Aviation Administration has revoked the licenses of two Northwest Airlines pilots who overflew their destination airport on October 21, 2009 while operating Flight 188 from San Diego to Minneapolis.

"The pilots were out of contact with air traffic controllers for an extended period of time and told federal investigators that they were distracted by a conversation. Air traffic controllers and airline officials repeatedly tried to reach them through radio and data contact, without success.

"The emergency revocations cite violations of a number of Federal Aviation Regulations. Those include failing to comply with air traffic control instructions and clearances and operating carelessly and recklessly.

The revocations are effective immediately. The pilots have 10 days to appeal the emergency revocations to the National Transportation Safety Board."

Is anyone surprised?

Comments

[Sylvia]

Woah. This is the first I heard of the FAA's announcement.

I guess I shouldn't be surprised - I couldn't think of any possible new information at this point that could put their actions into a better light. But it's still a bit shocking to see the FAA move forward before the investigation has completed!

[Hunter Heath]

Imagine "Sully" Sullenburger's and Jeff Skiles's dismay over this event: all the good they have done for the image of airline pilots and flight crew-- undone? I support the emergency revocation; the known facts plus their confession of dereliction is investigation enough. Or, look at it this way: would you want to be a passenger on a flight with the pilots of NW 188?

[Eric Burger]

Careful with language: "Laptop blocks instruments" sounds like "laptop interferes (electronically) with instruments." There have been studies after studies demonstrating no interference between laptops and avionics systems. The problem here is a human factors design flaw: making a tray table that looks appealing for a laptop that would sit in front of instruments that some one not thinking might use during flight.

[scott fried]

This could have been another incident of self induced hypnosis.
I am a pilot and surgeon who uses self-hypnosis with my patients for healing and to minimize pain and discomfort from surgery. My father was a pilot in WWll and
he experienced flight hypnosis during a mission in Burma. In fact, he went on to write his doctoral thesis on the effects of flight hypnosis. Sleep and hypnosis are similar in look but pilots, particularly on long flights, are prone to this phenomenon. I in fact have just finished a book about this. Please feel free to visit www.myfatherssecret.com or www.amazon.com and take a peek at it, A Surgeon's Self Hypnosis Healing Solution, My Father's Secret. Used appropriately, self hypnosis can be a pilot’s best friend in improving focus and concentration and keeping stressful situations from turning to panic.
Dr Scott Fried
www.nervepain.com