View Full Version : Idiot pilot, asleep at the stick in front of Feds.
Patty
May 2nd 04, 09:39 PM
Airline Pilot Caught Dozing in Flight
Fri Apr 30, 7:28 AM ET
TOKYO (Reuters) - A pilot for Japan's All Nippon Airways fell asleep at the
controls for 45 minutes while on a domestic flight and had to be awakened by
a government inspector who was traveling with cockpit access privileges.
A spokesman for the airline said on Friday that the 50-year-old pilot, whose
name was not released, dozed off while flying on March 23 from Tokyo's
Haneda airport to the western India, a trip that takes about an 2 hours.
An official from the Transport Ministry, who was in the cockpit for a
routine inspection, woke the pilot after he fell asleep as the plane was
cruising at 12,000 meters (36,000 feet), but he dozed off again and had to
be awakened, by splashing water over his head, a second time.
"He was asleep 35-45 minutes," the spokesman said.
The spokesman said there was no danger to passengers since the plane was on
auto-pilot. The pilot, who has not been suspended, due to a union
technicality.
Last year, a Japanese bullet train driver fell asleep at the controls while
his train was traveling at 270 km (168 miles) an hour. He was found to
suffer from sleep apnea, in which a person repeatedly stops breathing during
sleep, causing daytime drowsiness.
Tobias Mock
May 3rd 04, 01:45 PM
> An official from the Transport Ministry [...] woke the pilot after he fell
> asleep as the plane was cruising [...], but he dozed off again and had
> to be awakened, by splashing water over his head, a second time.
I'm just wondering what frightens me more, a sleeping pilot or a
government official splashing a bin of water through the cockpit...
Tobias
John Gaquin
May 3rd 04, 01:54 PM
"Tobias Mock" > wrote in message
...
> > An official from the Transport Ministry [...] woke the pilot after he
fell
> > asleep as the plane was cruising [...], but he dozed off again and had
> > to be awakened, by splashing water over his head, a second time.
>
> I'm just wondering what frightens me more, a sleeping pilot or a
> government official splashing a bin of water through the cockpit...
I'm sure there was no bin of water..... probably just flicked a few drops
with his finger from a cup.
Bob Chilcoat
May 3rd 04, 02:43 PM
Where was the first officer?
--
Bob (Chief Pilot, White Knuckle Airways)
I don't have to like Bush and Cheney to love America
"Patty" > wrote in message
...
> Airline Pilot Caught Dozing in Flight
> Fri Apr 30, 7:28 AM ET
>
> TOKYO (Reuters) - A pilot for Japan's All Nippon Airways fell asleep at
the
> controls for 45 minutes while on a domestic flight and had to be awakened
by
> a government inspector who was traveling with cockpit access privileges.
>
> A spokesman for the airline said on Friday that the 50-year-old pilot,
whose
> name was not released, dozed off while flying on March 23 from Tokyo's
> Haneda airport to the western India, a trip that takes about an 2 hours.
>
> An official from the Transport Ministry, who was in the cockpit for a
> routine inspection, woke the pilot after he fell asleep as the plane was
> cruising at 12,000 meters (36,000 feet), but he dozed off again and had to
> be awakened, by splashing water over his head, a second time.
>
> "He was asleep 35-45 minutes," the spokesman said.
>
> The spokesman said there was no danger to passengers since the plane was
on
> auto-pilot. The pilot, who has not been suspended, due to a union
> technicality.
>
> Last year, a Japanese bullet train driver fell asleep at the controls
while
> his train was traveling at 270 km (168 miles) an hour. He was found to
> suffer from sleep apnea, in which a person repeatedly stops breathing
during
> sleep, causing daytime drowsiness.
>
>
John Gaquin
May 3rd 04, 04:09 PM
"Bob Chilcoat" > wrote in message
news:40964c69$0$3060
> Where was the first officer?
>
Very, very few Japanese F/Os would have the temerity to awaken a sleeping
Cpt.
Cub Driver
May 3rd 04, 09:52 PM
>I'm sure there was no bin of water..... probably just flicked a few drops
>with his finger from a cup.
Let's not forget that this was a Japanese cockpit and a Japanese
bureaucrat. Different folks, different strokes.
(The first time he awakened the pilot, he did so by tapping the
co-pilot on the shoulder. The co-pilot looked over, saw the captain
sleeping, and began "screaming" at him, according to the report. I
doubt an American first officer would scream at his captain.)
all the best -- Dan Ford
email: (put Cubdriver in subject line)
The Warbird's Forum www.warbirdforum.com
The Piper Cub Forum www.pipercubforum.com
Viva Bush! blog www.vivabush.org
How about this. When I took my flight instructor check ride, from the Feds,
I was talking away while demonstrating the various manuvers. The Fed
wasn't saying much, so I looked over at him and sure enough, behind the
dark glasses, his eyes were shut. I just kept on talking. Didn't want to
kick a sleeping dog. The dog might not like it.
I passed.
A long time ago. Statute of limitations, if they apply, have long since
expired.
In article >, "Tobias Mock"
> wrote:
>> An official from the Transport Ministry [...] woke the pilot after he fell
>> asleep as the plane was cruising [...], but he dozed off again and had
>> to be awakened, by splashing water over his head, a second time.
>
>I'm just wondering what frightens me more, a sleeping pilot or a
>government official splashing a bin of water through the cockpit...
>
>Tobias
>
John Gaquin
May 3rd 04, 10:45 PM
"Cub Driver" > wrote in message
>
> (The first time he awakened the pilot, he did so by tapping the
> co-pilot on the shoulder. The co-pilot looked over, saw the captain
> sleeping, and began "screaming" at him, according to the report. I
> doubt an American first officer would scream at his captain.)
No, you're right there. Several times, on both sides of the pedastal, I
woke the other guy by simply calling his name.
Nor would a Japanese F/O scream, in the absence of the check pilot. But
since they had been caught, the F/O had to make himself look bad (for his
failure in "allowing" the Cpt to doze off) by the rude and crude yelling.
Absent the check pilot, more subtlety would have been in order. Have the
F/A slam the cockpit door, perhaps, then apologize profusely for her
clumsiness.
Peter Clark
May 3rd 04, 10:54 PM
On Mon, 3 May 2004 09:43:14 -0400, "Bob Chilcoat"
> wrote:
>Where was the first officer?
"Oh, don't worry about him. When it comes time I'll poke him with a
stick. And if that doesn't work, I'll just take matters into my own
hands"? :)
Capt.Doug
May 6th 04, 08:40 PM
>"Bob Chilcoat" wrote in message > Where was the first officer?
Waiting to see his seniority number move up one notch!
Add this- some captains are more favored to fly with than others.
D. (temerity my a**)
John Gaquin
May 6th 04, 11:19 PM
"Capt.Doug" > wrote in message news:Gwwmc.47063
>
> Add this- some captains are more favored to fly with than others.
When I was flying for Brand-X, one day the CP called in one of the more
senior curmudgeons, and showed him a list, asking what does that look like?
Curmudgeon replied looks like a list of most of the F/Os here in *******.
CP says actually its a list of all the F/Os here who have refused to fly
with you -- what do you think I should do about that? Curmudgeon says hire
more F/Os. :-)
Capt.Doug
May 7th 04, 02:59 PM
>"John Gaquin" wrote in message > Curmudgeon replied looks like a list of
>most of the F/Os here in *******.
> CP says actually its a list of all the F/Os here who have refused to fly
> with you -- what do you think I should do about that? Curmudgeon says
hire
> more F/Os. :-)
Pilots who are higher than me on the seniority roster learn rather quickly
not to walk between me and the street. :-)
D. (Dang, that's the 4th captain this month to get hit by a truck)
(Hey Captain, wake up! I don't have a tiller to turn off this runway)
"Capt.Doug" > wrote in message >...
> >"John Gaquin" wrote in message > Curmudgeon replied looks like a list of
> >most of the F/Os here in *******.
> > CP says actually its a list of all the F/Os here who have refused to fly
> > with you -- what do you think I should do about that? Curmudgeon says
> hire
> > more F/Os. :-)
>
> Pilots who are higher than me on the seniority roster learn rather quickly
> not to walk between me and the street. :-)
>
> D. (Dang, that's the 4th captain this month to get hit by a truck)
> (Hey Captain, wake up! I don't have a tiller to turn off this runway)
The new Boeing Dream Liner is being built for sleepy pilots. lol
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