So - think there's any way these pilots are NOT getting fired?

[h linamen]

i can believe they were distracted by a heated discussion for 10 - 15 minutes. Once on a business trip I and another colleague were so engrossed in our "business disagreement", we overshot our exit and went another 30 miles before we became aware. Did we feel foolish!

Not sure about the inability to make contact with the plane though.