Based on the few facts I have on the Northwest pilots who overflew their destination last week, I have a problem with their veracity.

So far, I've heard 2 explanations, supposedly given by them, for the error. Both explanations seem illogical for the period of time that communication was lost between them and air traffic controllers. This causes me to be suspicious of their stories. And now I question their veracity.

It's one thing to make a mistake and own up to it. It's quite another to try to lie--if that's what they did-- to investigators, given the responsibility they had for the lives of their passengers and crew. If they did lie to the investigators, it means they are more concerned with their own well being than the passengers. That, to me, is inexcusable and suggests they are not mature enough to carry out the responsibilities their jobs require.

I heard this afternoon that their licenses have been revoked. Evidently the investigators have drawn the same conclusion.

I agree 100%.

Professional pilots in all areas of the aviation industry are entrusted with the ultimate level of the flying public's confidence -- their very lives. And in 99.99% of the cases, with just cause for confidence. Those very, very few who would undermine that trust, even when it results in only a few ruffled feathers from a late arrival, due to any factors under their control: disregard for regulations or safe operating procedures, inattention, bad decisions, should have the boom lowered on them. There are already enough accidents due solely to factors beyond reasonable control (and I include unintentional mistakes in that category; after all, pilots aren't perfect, but they are trained to catch their mistakes before anybody gets hurt; a system which 99.99% of the time works well when professional flight crews are involved)

I'm just very happy that this time nobody got hurt. Perhaps a wake-up call for more and better Cockpit Resource Management ("CRM") was needed. The pilots themselves are the prime resources in the cockpit. I don't ever see a time when a human is involved. Although fighter pilots in the U.S. might control Predator drones over Pakistan I don't think the public is going to be too happy at the thought of some guy in a dark room with a joystick being in charge of whether they get home safe and sound.

Pilots will often say, "I don't care about the passengers, it's MY butt I want to get safe back on the ground. If I get my butt back home safe and sound, then everybody back there for the ride will get back safe and sound, too." Kind of arrogant, I suppose, but it works. (and they don't really mean it quite that way.) But.......what was the deal anyway with these guys they forgot about both their butts and the pax butts? Concerned for their own well-being? Now? It's a bit late. Why not on the leg from SDO to MSP?