Diego , California , to the Minneapolis-St . Paul airport in Minnesota on Wednesday when air traffic controllers lost radio contact with the Airbus A320 over the Denver , Colorado , area . Instead of beginning to descend as planned about 22 minutes before its scheduled arrival , the plane continued flying at its cruise altitude of 35,000 feet and passed over the Minnesota airport . At 8:14 p.m. CT -- 36 minutes after the plane was to begin its descent and 14 minutes after its scheduled arrival -- the pilots contacted controllers , the FAA said . One of the pilots radioed : `` We got distracted and we 've overflown MSP -LSB- Minneapolis-St . Paul airport -RSB- . We are overhead EAU -LSB- Eau Claire , Wisconsin -RSB- and would like to make a 180 and to -LSB- make -RSB- an arrival from over EAU . '' Cheney and Cole told federal investigators that they `` lost track of time '' while working on personal laptop computers , the National Transportation Safety Board said . They became aware of their plane 's position only after a flight attendant asked about the landing time , according to the NTSB
Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The Federal Aviation Administration revoked the licenses of two Northwest Airlines pilots Tuesday in an extraordinary letter in which the agency chastised the pair , saying they endangered the public by flying an hour and half without contacting controllers `` while you were on a frolic of your own . '' The letter to Northwest Captain Timothy B. Cheney and First Officer Richard I. Cole puts the total time the pilots maintained radio silence at 91 minutes -- 13 minutes longer than originally defined by federal investigators . The letter said the pilots were `` extremely reckless . '' `` Not only did you not comply with ... -LSB- air traffic controller -RSB- instructions , you did not even monitor the aircraft 's air-ground radios , '' the letter said . `` You were disengaged and impervious to the serious threat to your own safety , as well as the safety of people for whom you are responsible . This is a total dereliction and disregard for your duties . '' The letter provides new details about the flight . Cheney , 53 , and Cole , 54 , were piloting Flight 188 from San