'Sleeping' pilots fly past destination

[Mal]

'Sleeping' pilots fly past destination | The Courier-Mail

AN Air India flight headed for Mumbai overshot its destination and was halfway to Goa before its dozing pilots were woken from a deep slumber by air traffic control.

"After operating an overnight flight, fatigue levels peak - and so the pilots dozed off after taking off from Jaipur,'' the source, who was not identified in the report, said.

The plane flew to Mumbai on autopilot, but when air traffic there tried to help the aircraft land, the plane ignored their instructions and carried on at full speed towards Goa.

 

[Travel Guru]

Didn't that happen a few months ago, or is my memory tricking me?

TG

 

[Mal]

Didn't that happen a few months ago, or is my memory tricking me?

Apparently only a couple of weeks ago.

Original article:
Plane overshoots Mumbai as both pilots go to sleep-India-The Times of India

Then again, a couple of weeks ago in medialand can be any timeframe!

And, there seems to be 'denial' story"
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...h_Mumbai_ATC_Official/articleshow/3168466.cms

Commenting on the TOI report that the flight had flown past its destination of Mumbai with the pilots fatigued and fast asleep, AI's director for public relations Jitender Bhargava said, "We emphatically deny the report. No such incident took place. We've checked our records."

Maintaining that the report on the incident did not mention the date of flight, he said that on June 4 the Jaipur-Mumbai flight had lost radio contact with the ATC for some time, leading the plane to fly 24 km off Mumbai -- and not half-way to Goa.

Bhargava said that AI pilots had not slept on board and were not woken up by the ATC personnel.

 

[Travel Guru]

Apparently only a couple of weeks ago.

Original article:
Plane overshoots Mumbai as both pilots go to sleep-India-The Times of India

Then again, a couple of weeks ago in medialand can be any timeframe!

That is true...everything old is new again, especially with the media.

TG

 

[straitman]

Maybe it has happened several times :!:

 

[dot]

Didn't that happen a few months ago, or is my memory tricking me?

TG

I think you are recalling the KLM flight to BLR and where the flight crew were not being briefed on the closure of the old airport and opening of the new one. I think they arrived about two hours after the changeover. ATC on approach to the old airport just told them that the old airport was closed (with no information about the new airport), so they diverted to DEL (I think). At least, that is my recollection of the incident.

 

[JohnK]

Simply amazing! I know it is serious but couldn't help laughing while reading the story....

 

[FL360]

No, this incident is with Air India I think.
I think the flight control system should include an alarm !

 

[SeatBackForward]

I'm not surprised, the culture of sleeping seems to be standard for their terminal and ground crews..Yet another reason not to fly Air India.

 

[FL360]

It is still better than Air Koryo I guess....

 

[SeatBackForward]

It is still better than Air Koryo I guess....

You do realise, Air India will see that as a challenge and probably fail on those paltry expectations.

 

[oz_mark]

I'm not surprised, the culture of sleeping seems to be standard for their terminal and ground crews..Yet another reason not to fly Air India.

...and you think that Aussie pilots don't get some shut eye on the red eyes here?

 

[NM]

...and you think that Aussie pilots don't get some shut eye on the red eyes here?

Hopefully only one at a time

 

[Harpoon]

Let me guess, the pilots were then hailed as heroes and given keys to the city for waking up and landing the plane safely?

 

[dajop]

This wouldn't have been either pilot's fault. There would have been a guy (or two?) sitting on a chair outside the pilot's cabin, peering out the window to see when they were getting close to BOM. When they were, his job was to go in and wake the pilots up ask him nicely to land the plane, sir. So he failed in his job. ..... I think.