Pilots Fall Asleep While Flying

There's a few jobs where having a cheeky snooze on company time is absolutely fine: gardener, builder, MP, journalist (see me - Ed). But we're pretty sure that airline pilot is definitely not one of them.

Shocking reports have emerged of pilots falling asleep while flying planes, after being left alone by their co-pilots. Both incidents saw the captain leave to use the lavatory and, upon returning, having to use a code to regain access to the cockpit. The first captain reported finding his first officer "slumped over the controls", while the second had to shake the pilot to wake him up. A third incident also saw a pilot fall asleep while his plane was on the ground - at least that's slightly safer we suppose.

The incidents come eight months after The British Airline Pilots Association warned that 43% of its members had admitted falling asleep at the wheel, after reporting that it was simply easier to try and battle on when fatigued, rather than report feeling tired.

The incidents were obtained under Freedom of Information Laws by The Telegraph, but do not name the pilots or the airlines involved.

Next time you jump onboard, probably best to take no chances and slip the pilot a couple of Red Bulls before take-off. Either that or get practicing your flight sims in readiness to take over when they slip away to La-La Land for a quick forty winks.

[via The Telegraph]

Image: Rex