SAS pilot fell asleep in the cockpit
Published: 3 Feb 11 10:03 CET | Print version
Online: http://www.thelocal.se/31810/20110203/
The pilot of a SAS plane fell asleep while at the controls of a flight from Copenhagen to Stockholm after his co-pilot had gone to the toilet.
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"I was extremely tired and had to fight to keep my eyes open," the captain wrote in a report reviewed by the Norwegian newspaper VG, citied by Aftonbladet.
However, the sleep deprived-pilot lost the battle to stay awake after his co-pilot left the cockpit to go to the toilet.
When the co-pilot attempted to return, he was forced to buzz the locked cockpit door repeatedly before the pilot woke up and let him in.
In explaining the incident, which took place last year, the captain said he had had less than four hours of sleep. The Copenhagen to Stockholm flight was his fourth of a scheduled five flights he was to pilot that day.
A manager at SAS told VG that, while having a pilot fall asleep midflight is unusual, the airline wasn't planning to take any disciplinary measures against the pilot.
What do you think? Leave your comment below.
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I can see that happening on a New York to Stockholm flight, but from Copenhagen? What's that- an hour flight tops?
They probably figure that it's better to leave the pilot alone so they don't work themselves into a difficult situation...
Pilots take off and land and they don't even need to do that at the bigger airports.
Auto pilot is active on most flights most of the time. The flight was in as much danger as any other flight.
He must have had a minimum of 8 hours at home or in a hotel from the previous days shift. so what was he up to that resulted in only 4 hours sleep and made him fall asleep after being on duty for only 9 hours????
Still, better to take a "power nap" so you are at your best for the crucial descent and landing.
if the pilot had a cardiac and died would have been a bit to worry about though!
I think it is they are allowed to sleep if there is another officer awake!
I can see geabbing some rest on a 12+ hour flight if the co-pilot was awake, but hopping back and forth a few times between CPH & ARN is strage. That's around the time of an average work shift.
He should've planned his night before better or if it was something out of his control (sickness or children etc.) he should've called in and explained the situation or just called in sick. That's easy enough to do in Sweden.