The step comes in response to the widely reported incident last October in which the pilots of a Northwest Airlines A320 overflew their destination by 150 mi. and lost radio contact with air traffic controllers because they were using their laptop computers while engaged in a discussion about their crew scheduling system (ATWOnline, March 19).

In the "Information for Operators" guidance published yesterday, FAA cited two other recent instances involving crew distractions: In one, a pilot was texting after the aircraft pushed back from the gate and before the takeoff sequence and in another an FAA inspector in the jump seat overheard a crewmember's mobile phone ring during the takeoff roll.

  US Dept. of Transportation and FAA yesterday called on airlines "to create and enforce policies that will limit distractions in the cockpit [including use of PEDs] and keep pilots focused on transporting passengers safely."

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