Distracted pilots appeal loss of licenses

The appeals were filed late Wednesday, board spokesman Ted Lopatkiewicz said. He said that appeals typically are heard by an administrative law judge within 120 days.

The Federal Aviation Administration revoked the licenses of Captain Timothy Cheney of Washington and First Officer Richard Cole of Oregon last week. The agency said the pilots put the 144 passengers of Flight 188 in serious danger on Oct. 21 when they failed to communicate with anyone on the ground for 91 minutes despite repeated attempts by air traffic controllers and their own airline to reach them.

Cheney and Cole told investigators they lost track of time and place while working on crew scheduling on their laptops. They said they did not realize their situation until a flight attendant contacted them on the intercom to ask when the plane would be landing. By then, the Airbus A320 was over Wisconsin at 37,000 feet. The pilots turned the plane around and landed safely in Minneapolis.