A small plane overshot its
destination in Australia by almost 50km (30 miles) after its pilot fell asleep
in the cockpit, air safety officials say.
The pilot was the only
person on board the freight flight from Devonport to King Island in Tasmania on
8 November.
The incident, classified as
a case of “incapacitation”, is being investigated by the Australian Transport
Safety Bureau (ATSB).
Officials have not said how
the pilot awoke before landing the plane safely.
The Piper PA-31 aircraft,
operated by Vortex Air, had been due to complete the 240km trip at 07:15 local
time.
“During the cruise, the
pilot fell asleep, resulting in the aircraft overflying King Island by 46
kilometres,” the ATSB said in a brief statement.
Aviation expert Neil
Hansford said that Australia had strict rules relating to pilot fatigue.
“There is no way in the
world that someone should’ve taken on that flight fatigued,” he told the
Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
On its website, Vortex Air
says it runs charter flights for “groups, corporates and leisure travellers”
around Australia.
The ATSB said it would
interview the pilot and review operating procedures before releasing a report
next year.
Last year, five people died
when a plane on its way to King Island crashed moments after takeoff in
Melbourne.
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