CNA Explains: How airlines ensure pilots don’t accidentally fall asleep while flying

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Both pilots of a Batik Air flight dozed off in mid-air. Did they break any rules?

Two Batik Air pilots were suspended after they fell asleep mid-flight. One pilot asked the other if he could rest and had his request granted, but his co-pilot inadvertently fell asleep while in command of the aircraft.

Both approaches are based on scientific principles, knowledge and operational experience, according to an ICAO guide for airline operators. The impact of workload on physical and mental performance degradation, and the safety risk of a “fatigue-impaired” crew member in an operational context should also be taken into account.ICAO outlines two types of pilot rest - though not every country permits both.The second is “bunk rest”, where pilots can sleep in a passenger seat or crew bunk available in a long-haul widebody aircraft, aviation analyst Shukor Yusof told CNA.

The resting pilot must also pull their seat away from the controls. And once they wake, they cannot immediately take control of the plane, to ensure “full alertness”. This is according to a 2018 Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore advisory circular on fatigue risk management for such flights. An ultra long-haul flight lasts more than 16 hours, but the flight duty period can last longer.

One pilot had slept during his designated break, while the other unintentionally fell asleep soon after. The latter was eventually sacked.

 

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