Pilots Who Missed Runway May Have Been Asleep

Both pilots have been fired. Investigators say the plane drifted off course, but landed safely. The plane missed the runway by 15 miles and air traffic controllers couldn't reach the cockpit for 25 minutes.

By: WKRG Staff | WKRG-TV
Published: April 24, 2008

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HONOLULU (AP) - Two pilots for Hawaii's go! airlines who
overshot a runway by 15 miles while trying to land on the state's
big island have been fired.
Mesa Air Group confirms Thursday that it fired the pilots but it
won't identify them. go! is an inter-island carrier that Mesa runs.
Investigators had said they were looking into whether the pilots
had fallen asleep when their plane carrying 40 passengers drifted
off course during a Feb. 13 flight from Honolulu to Hilo. Air
traffic controllers were unable to contact the cockpit for 25
minutes.
The plane landed safely in Hilo.
The Air Line Pilots Association says it filed a grievance with
the airline on the pilots' behalf. Union attorney John Dean says
the pilots were fired 10 days ago.