Pilot of Plane that Overshot Airport Denies that Crew was Napping

Richard Cole, the pilot of the Northwest Airlines flight that overshot its destination airport by 150 miles, has recently denied that he and captain were not asleep or arguing in the cockpit when the events transpired. What Cole has note offered reporters, however, is the reason that the error occurred. Said Cole, "It was not a serious event, from a safety issue. I would tell you more, but I’ve already told you way too much." Prior to the flight overreaching by such a large margin, air traffic controllers had tried to get the attention of the pilots, and National Guard jets were prepared to chase the plane if it continued much further.

All the while, the jet was being monitored by officials in the White House, though it isn’t clear whether the president was alerted of the incident. Though aviation experts have noted that either a distraction or fatigue contributed to the snafu, Cole reiterated, "We were not asleep. We were not having an argument. We were not having a fight. I can tell you that airplanes lose contact with the ground people all the time. It happens. Sometimes they get together right away. Sometimes it takes awhile before one or the other notices that they are not in contact."

Both pilots of the bizarre flight passed breathalyzer tests and were very apologetic after the flight. The pair of veteran pilots were just coming off a 19-hour layover, though neither pilot attributed the problems of the flight to the layover.