Washington - The pilots of Northwest Airlines Flight 188, which overshot its destination by 150 miles while carrying 147 passengers from San Diego to Minneapolis last week, have told authorities that they were at least partially distracted by laptop computers in the cockpit. In the wake of this incident, U.S. Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) today announced that he will introduce "distracted flying" legislation to prohibit the use of non-essential portable electronics in the cockpit.

His bill would require the head of the Federal Aviation Administration to initiate rulemaking to prohibit pilots from using portable electronic devices during flight, unless they are used for safety purposes or for the purposes of flying or navigating the aircraft. The legislation would also initiate an FAA study on distracted flying and its effect on safety.

"With dozens or sometimes hundreds of lives in their hands, we need to ensure that pilots are focused on one thing only: getting their aircraft from point A to point B safely and efficiently," said Menendez. "Electronic devices make our lives a lot easier, but they also can cause dangerous distractions. Anyone who drives a car knows that there are many more things to pull away your attention than there were just a few years ago. What's true in a car is generally true in an airplane, and we need to address distracted flying just as we are addressing distracted driving. The fact that there isn't already a prohibition on 'texting while flying' for airplanes seems reckless."

Currently, Federal Aviation Administration rules prohibit pilots from using electronic devices at altitudes of less than 10,000 feet, however they rules above that altitude vary by air carrier. The pilots on flight that overshot the airport in Minneapolis were using their laptops at 37,000 feet.

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