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Pilots snoozed at 30,000 feet in cockpit of 300-passenger plane

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Traderd

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Feb 4, 2005
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http://www.cnn.com/2013/09/26/travel/airline-pilots-asleep-cockpit/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

"Cruising at 30,000 feet, pilots snoozed in the cockpit of a 300-passenger airliner en route to Britain last August, UK aviation authorities told CNN on Thursday."

"The August 13 incident appears to be the result of bad scheduling by the airline, said the spokesman, Richard Taylor. The pilots reported having only five hours of sleep over two nights "due to longer duty period with insufficient opportunity to sleep," the CAA report states. "Both crew rested for 20 minute rotations and fell asleep."

"You can't have five hours of sleep in two days," says veteran airline pilot and aviation consultant Mark Weiss. "That doesn't work."

Seems the crew rest issues are far from being resolved.
 
Happens every day.
Just do it safe fellas- set your alarms to high sound and vibrate - put your phone in your shirt pocket, communicate and work it out with the other crew-

The science is behind controlled naps- but the public doesn't want to think you're sleeping so no airline can set the procedure-
So be smart, be disciplined about it- don't let it overcome you- plan it and do it if possible- that 15-30 minute nap will make you much better in the terminal area.
We have a culture of gutting through fatigue- weve all done it-that needs to be replaced with intelligence
IMHO
 
CNN said:
Rules vary, but generally, the sleeping pilot must be supervised by another pilot during the naps.
Well, there's the problem right there. The awake pilot should be supervising the aircraft, not the sleeping pilot.
 
The science is behind controlled naps- but the public doesn't want to think you're sleeping so no airline can set the procedure-
IMHO

Actually it's written as standard procedure at lots of international carriers. My airline allows naps of up to 45 minute during cruise. I take them all the time.
 
COME ON NEW REST RULES!!!!

T minus 3 months and 4 days
 
I wish he'd only stare at me. A cold wet nose nuzzling me bits and pieces is enough to take even the 'ol Tweaker's concentration off the task at hand. (no, not with just my hands)
 
In the late 80's the NTSB did a study of sleep in the cockpit, looking at instances of ?Micro Napping?. This where you have no control over falling asleep and blacking out due to being fatigued. . What they found was at int'l carriers where controlled napping was allowed in cruise, there were no instances of Micro napping from start of descent to the gate. On US Air carriers there was 147 cases of Micro Napping from the start of descent to the gate. Including 4 cases of micro napping where both pilots dropped off at the same time. The danger is not missing the call because of controlled napping, but missing the call because of uncontrolled napping.

Reminds me of my first trip after IOE, 1978 TransAmerican L-188 F/O coming out of the Emery sort at KDAY at 0200. We level off and the CA looks at me and says, "Why don't you kick back and get some rest? I answered "Oh no sir, my job to be fully alert to the safety of flight at all times" (or something stupid like that). He looks at his feet and shakes his head and says "I hate you new guys, you know I am gunna catch some rest on the next leg, and I won't rest well if I think you might not be alert" "If I am not rested I am a grumpy son-of -a-bitch, and you don't want to be around me when I am grumpy" "Now about you get some rest? I pretended to rest, I was too excited about being an airline pilot. That did not last long, the not resting part, I loved being an airline pilot. There is no way anyone who lives on their days off on a 7AM to 11PM wake cycle with their family, can now pick up three night of 11PM to 7AM flying and not be exhausted.

BTW the FAA rejected the NTSB recommendation of setting napping policy, because it was un-American to sleep on the job.
 

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