Space cadets

Federal aviation officials as well as the general public were wondering just how two experienced pilots overshot their destination by 150 miles last week.

The Northwest Airlines pilots flying from San Diego were supposed to land the aircraft in Minneapolis, but ended up over Wisconsin before realizing they had strayed.

Timothy Cheney and Richard Cole told investigators they were working on their laptops and simply "lost track of time and place," according to the Associated Press. The Federal Aviation Administration has revoked their licenses. That's a good move.

The pilots have 10 days to appeal to the National Transportation Safety Board. Failing that, they can apply for a new license after one year.

The penalty may seem harsh. But lives were on the line. The pilots were out of touch with air traffic control for more than an hour. They had no business being so distracted.

Those who oversee commercial aviation must send a strict message that such inattention in the cockpit will not and cannot be tolerated.