Unions have published a dossier of pilots falling asleep in the cockpit as the European Parliament today votes on new working conditions that could extend their shifts to 24 hours.
In evidence from the British Airline Pilots’ Association it emerged that an aircraft captain nodded off low over London at a “critical” stage of the plane’s approach to Gatwick. The captain was later signed off by his doctor for a month for fatigue.
The Balpa dossier includes testimony from flight crew admitting to falling asleep in the cockpit — sometimes simultaneously. It includes two accounts of planes flying with both pilots asleep.
Balpa collated the accounts from its members following a row last week over pilot fatigue. In one, a transatlantic pilot reported how both he and his captain were asleep at the same time at night — and were woken only by the aircraft’s warning alert system.
A captain also admitted falling asleep at the controls while his colleague was having a “controlled rest”, and an experienced captain told of having the “nodding dog” feeling of being unable to keep his eyes open on at least five occasions, including during ascent after take-off.
Balpa claims that the proposed rules being voted on today will put lives at risk by cutting UK safety standards — allowing changes to air crew shift and rest patterns that could see pilots awake for up to 24 hours.
Jim McAuslan, general secretary of Balpa, said: “Tiredness is already a major challenge for pilots who are deeply concerned that new EU rules will cut UK standards and lead to increased levels of tiredness.”
