Pilots’ story may surface on Monday

The two pilots of Northwest Flight 188 talked to NTSB investigators today. NBC News, repeating what’s leaked out over the weekend, has a flat denial from the pilot that the two pilots fell asleep when their Airbus jet overshot Minneapolis and headed into Wisconsin.

It’d be nice if one of them would say what they were doing instead of what they weren’t, but the NTSB may clear that up on Monday.

The Wall St. Journal reported Sunday that airline officials are agreeing with the pilots that this wasn’t a case of pilots falling asleep.

And later Sunday, the New York Times suggested the “heated discussion” that occupied the attention of the two pilots may have been about Delta’s imposition of procedures on Northwest pilots. For the record, the Delta procedures do not include failing to initiate a descent or failing to land where you’re supposed to.