Northwest pilots appeal revocation of licenses

ATLANTA (Reuters) - The two pilots of a Northwest Airlines flight who overflew their destination for more than a hour last month have appealed the revocations of their licenses in a filing with the National Transportation Safety Board.

NTSB spokesman Ted Lopatkiewicz said in an email on Thursday that "there is no argument or defense" included in the appeals.

A hearing before an administrative law judge usually occurs within 120 days of an appeal filing.

Last week, U.S. regulators revoked the licenses of the pilots, identified as Timothy Cheney and Richard Cole. The pair said they lost their bearings during an October 21 flight while discussing company policy and using their laptops.

Northwest Flight 188 from San Diego to Minneapolis lost contact with air controllers for more than an hour and overshot the Minneapolis-St Paul Airport by 150 miles, aviation officials said.

Northwest parent Delta Air Lines Inc said last week that it suspended the pilots pending the outcome of the NTSB investigation and an internal company probe.

(Reporting by Karen Jacobs; Editing by Tim Dobbyn)