New Update from the NTSB e-mail list. Apparently they were busy with their..... laptops.
(Excerpt)
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[FONT="]* Both stated there was a distraction in the cockpit. [/FONT]
[FONT="]The pilots said there was a concentrated period of [/FONT]
[FONT="]discussion where they did not monitor the airplane or [/FONT]
[FONT="]calls from ATC even though both stated they heard [/FONT]
[FONT="]conversation on the radio. Also, neither pilot noticed [/FONT]
[FONT="]messages that were sent by company dispatchers. They [/FONT]
[FONT="]were discussing the new monthly crew flight scheduling [/FONT]
[FONT="]system that was now in place as a result of the [/FONT]
[FONT="]merger. The discussion began at cruise altitude. [/FONT]
[FONT="]* Both said they lost track of time.[/FONT]
[FONT="]* Each pilot accessed and used his personal laptop [/FONT]
[FONT="]computer while they discussed the airline crew flight [/FONT]
[FONT="]scheduling procedure. The first officer, who was more [/FONT]
[FONT="]familiar with the procedure was providing instruction [/FONT]
[FONT="]to the captain. The use of personal computers on the [/FONT]
[FONT="]flight deck is prohibited by company policy.[/FONT]
[FONT="]* Neither pilot was aware of the airplane's position [/FONT]
[FONT="]until a flight attendant called about 5 minutes before [/FONT]
[FONT="]they were scheduled to land and asked what was their [/FONT]
[FONT="]estimated time of arrival (ETA). The captain said, at [/FONT]
[FONT="]that point, he looked at his primary flight display [/FONT]
[FONT="]for an ETA and realized that they had passed MSP. They [/FONT]
[FONT="]made contact with ATC and were given vectors back to [/FONT]
[FONT="]MSP.
...
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