Wayward Pilots Have Their Licenses Revoked

The wayward pilots who overshot their target of Minneapolis airport don't have to worry about doing that again anytime soon. That's because the FAA has revoked the licenses for both Timothy Cheney of Gig Harbor, Wash., the captain, and Richard Cole of Salem, Ore., the first officer.

The two pilots of Northwest Airlines Flight 188 had reportedly told National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigators that rather than being in communication with air traffic controllers, they were on their laptops, working on crew schedules. At least, according to the two, they weren't napping.

However, they were still in violation of a number of federal aviation regulations, including 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 NTSB.