Come on boys and girls. IF the weather had been bad, bumped around by turbulence...the pilots would have put down their laptops and watched the instruments.
It was the very perfection of the evening which minimized the risk and allowed the pilots to watch the laptop instead of the instruments.
Yes, but we all know that it's usually a series of otherwise benign events that create aviation disasters. Pilots mesmerized over their laptops was the first event. If another event had occurred at around the same time it could have been a disaster.
I like the swiss cheese analogy. There can be a lot of holes but they usually aren't lined up. When all the holes line up together is when disaster can strike.
The passenger's lives weren't in imminent danger but a huge safety net was no longer in place with two totally distracted pilots.
Our entire air transport system is based on safety redundancy. There needs to be zero tolerance to the blatant disregard for airline saftey.
I'm not so sure DL should send Cheney and Cole to the soup line. I'd clip their wings and have them put on some safety workshops on situational awareness. Two careers go "poof". What better examples to teach from.