Distraction: Nightmare at 37,000 feet

Meanwhile, the airline should give a nice bonus to the flight attendant who noticed that Flight 188 from San Diego was still cruising at 37,000 feet, five minutes before its scheduled landing. Had the attendant not called into the cockpit to ask what was happening, the flight might have been at the mercy of the four North American Aerospace Defense Command fighter jets that were on “runway alert.’’ If there was ever a time to give an employee a golden watch for a watchful eye, this is it.