The pilot fell asleep during the flight and flew 46 km beyond the destination

Sometimes it’s forgivable to fall asleep at work, no matter who it happens to. But not if you are a pilot flying a plane right now. In Australia, one of the pilots fell asleep and missed the landing island by 46 kilometers.

Фото: Depositphotos

A small cargo plane flew nearly fifty kilometers farther from its destination because of a pilot who fell asleep in the cockpit, reports the Australian Transportation Safety Bureau, writes CNN.

The pilot, whose name is not called, flew 8 November from Tasmania to King Island, which is on the south-west coast of the country.

Flight tracking data for that day shows how the Piper PA-31, operated by Vortex Air, leaves Devonport Airport at 6: 21 in the morning and passes through King Island before turning around. He landed on King Island in 7: 21 in the morning.

“During the flight, the pilot, who was the only person on board, fell asleep, causing the aircraft to overshoot King Island by 46 km (28,6 miles),” the department said in a statement.

Now the authorities are investigating the incident. It is unclear at what point the pilot woke up and decided to return. According to the Vortex Air website, the company manages charter flights for "groups, corporations and tourists" to destinations throughout Australia.

The company said this was an "extremely rare occurrence" and said it was the pilot's first flight since returning from vacation. According to the director of Vortex Air, the pilot “accidentally fell asleep.”

“The problem became apparent when Air Traffic Control could not contact the pilot in flight, and the plane flew past the intended destination while working on autopilot. The pilot landed safely on the plane at King Island airport. ”

The charter company stated that it was the first scheduled flight and the subsequent flights were successful.

The Piper PA-31 can fly at a maximum speed of 270 miles per hour (434 km / h) and can carry up to 10 passengers.

ATSB said it would interview the pilot, review operational procedures and publish a report of its investigation at the beginning of 2019. The Civil Aviation Authority conducts a separate investigation on the practice of fatigue management within a charter company.

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