Northwest flight problems show "professionalism" issue among pilots, FAA official says

The nation's top aviation official says the Northwest Airlines pilots who overshot Minneapolis are part of a larger problem of "professionalism" among commercial airline pilots.

Federal Aviation Administration Administrator Randy Babbitt told an international aviation club aviation is facing an "extreme need to refocus on professionalism."

Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., says he's going to try to do something about that.

Dorgan says he met with Babbit on Wednesday to discuss a bill he will introduce.

The bill aims to keep personal electronic devices out of the cockpits of our nation's commercial airlines.

Dorgan says he is also planning holding hearings looking into the issue of pilot fatigue, which he calls a chronic and very difficult issue.

Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., is also working on a bill aimed at keeping laptops and things of the like out of airline cock pits.

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