BEIJING, Oct. 27 (Xinhuanet) -- Pilots of Northwest Flight 188 which overshot the destination by about 240 km (150 miles) last week said they were using laptops and lost track of their duties, according to media reports Tuesday.

    The pilots told National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) that they missed their destination because the first officer, Richard I. Cole, was then tutoring the captain, Timothy B. Cheney, in a new scheduling system put in place as a result of Northwest's merger with Delta in 2008, which included their use of personal laptops in the cockpit.

    Delta acquired Northwest last fall, and since then has begun integrating the two airlines' operations, like reservation systems and airport check-in counters and kiosks.

    "The pilots said there was a concentrated period of discussion where they did not monitor the airplane or calls from (air traffic controllers) even though both stated they heard conversation on the radio," the NTSB said after interviewing the pair.

    "Using laptops or engaging in activity unrelated to the pilots' command of the aircraft during flight, is strictly against the airline's flight deck policies and violations of that policy will result in termination," said a statement issued by Delta.

    The pilots remain suspended until completion of the airline's investigation.

    (Agencies)

Flight "misses airport by 150 miles"

    BEIJING, Oct. 25 -- Air traffic controllers lost contact with a Northwest Airlines flight carrying 144 passengers after the plane accidentally overshot its destination by 150 miles.

    The craft was travelling from San Diego to Minneapolis but went past the airport after the pilots got distracted, according to media reports. Full story