The pilots were missing in the virtual world

You've probably heard about the planes that are volatilized in the air? Well here is a story more real and more frightening still: October 21, 2009, two pilots who had to provide a flight from San Diego to Minneapolis have disappeared in cyberspace.

There was no problem with the device. Ground controllers have followed over the duration of the flight. In the central cabin, passengers and crew did not notice anything unusual. The pilots did not shake their head as they flew the aircraft. But in fact this was not the case. Two laptops have captured their attention.

This incident is fully described in a report released December 16 by the American Board of Transportation Safety. It is reminiscent of the dangers inherent in our various electronic devices: mobile phones, smartphones, MP3 players and game consoles. We leave the real world to join the virtual world. Except that in this case, 144 passengers, although real, were aboard the plane.
Fully awake

Flight 188 Northwest Airlines has exceeded its destination 160 kilometers. According to the report of the Board of Transportation Safety, the pilots had ingested any substance or drug was stunning and perfectly awake. They have not responded to radio calls from air traffic controllers for one hour and seventeen minutes. How is this possible?

It all started with two laptops. The commander was irritated by his new work schedule and wanted to change the management system schedules the airline. The only way to access the system was using his laptop. He has opened in the cockpit. The first officer also left his computer to tell the commander how the software works. Then they were absent ...

If this scene seems surreal, it may be that you believe - wrongly - that the pilot fly the aircraft. Well, no! These are computers that do. The drivers themselves, not make sure all goes well. The American Board of Transportation Safety explains how the program controls the system management flight, which then directed the plane through the autopilot. Meanwhile, the pilots were busy with other pursuits.
Position reports

Yet they were supposed to send "position report" to inform the company of their flight status. But an agent to operate the Northwest Airlines asked the commander not to send these reports because they are bulky and unnecessary. The officer said the computer company were perfectly capable of monitoring devices without human intervention.

The fact is that computers have much ground followed the path of the aircraft. They have sent warnings to pilots and have verified that the computers of the aircraft had received his warning. But: the computers on the ground and onboard computers communicating with each other. And the pilots were not in the loop.

These warnings were in the form of messages displayed on the screens of the cockpit. Why do pilots do not they noticed? Because the screens were those they considered their laptops, not those of the steering post. In fact, the first officer told investigators that the laptop was blocking the driver's cockpit displays. The commander denied the report, but remember what was on those screens.
Offline

The pilots did they hear anything? Niet. When the autopilot reaches its destination prerecorded, he continued to direct the aircraft without making a sound signal. The text messages ground controllers were also silent. The dispatchers did try to alert drivers by activating an alarm or an alarm, but the aircraft did not have the necessary equipment. The cockpit was equipped with radios, but air traffic controllers did not know what frequency they were resolved. Furthermore, pilots were so absorbed in their laptops they have heard a "buzz". When your brain is disconnected, your eyes and your ears are too.

And the outside world, then? The pilots could see they were not they? Neither. When they released their laptops, it was already dark and Minneapolis was covered with clouds. They were flown in the dark.

Either. They saw nothing, heard nothing. And they have not paid attention to onboard computers. But what about the crew? Have not talked to pilots?
In their little world

Soon. Since September 11, the cockpit is armored and locked to prevent hijackers from entering. Pilots are therefore alone in their little world. The first officer stated to investigators that the captain and himself "had an obligation to talk to the crew before takeoff. From the moment they opened their laptops, the crew have not sent to them until the aircraft exceeds its destination. Here the pilot consulted with their screens around and realized the situation.

In his interview with investigators, the captain was apologetic. He explained that he had "left a strong external distraction." But that's not what happened on Flight 188. The force in question did not come from outside but from within. She was completely blinded the minds of drivers and neutralized their senses. They were completely disconnected from the outside world: the screens of the cockpit, the world behind the windshield, the passengers in the central cabin.

And then, these drivers were not distracted. They were impervious to distractions, focused exclusively on their laptops.

That's what worries me most about our trip in cyberspace. It seems to enter what is much easier than to leave.