U.S. federal regulators on Tuesday revoked the licenses of the two Northwest Airlines pilots who flew well past their Minneapolis, Minnesota destination last week. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said the pilots had violated several regulations, including failing to comply with air traffic control instructions and clearances and operating a commercial airplane carelessly and recklessly. The two pilots told investigators they lost track of time and location while working on their laptop computers. They said they were working on a complicated new crew-scheduling program. The pilots' union had warned against a quick judgment in the case, which has attracted significant media coverage. The two pilots, who said they had no previous accidents or safety incidents, have 10 days to appeal the revocation of their licenses.
