An Air New Zealand pilot has admitted to falling asleep not once, but twice, while flying a plane from London to Los Angeles.
The pilot, who has not been identified, said that he wasn't able to sleep the night before because his hotel room in London was too hot or too cold, which resulted in him to switch rooms three times, the Daily Mail reports.
While flying the plane the next day, he fell into a deep sleep. He filed a "fatigue report" with the Civil Aviation Authority in which he confessed to falling asleep in the flight deck.
"I suddenly, and without any warning, fell into a deep sleep," the pilot said in a report. "The same event occurred twice," he said.
He said he took two naps on a bunk bed which made him feel better and allowed him to continue with the flight to Los Angeles.
The pilot falling asleep wasn't a big safety issue as he was one of three pilots on the 332-passenger flight in November 2011.
An Air New Zealand spokesperson said he had "nodded off twice for around a minute and woke spontaneously." The spokesperson said that "safety was not compromised at any point."
According to a European Cockpit Association survey last year, sleeping at the controls is an ongoing problem. Four in 10 British pilots have admitted to falling asleep while working. The Air Line Pilots' Association urged to importance of air crew getting enough sleep while at hotels.
Recently a pilot fell asleep in the cockpit of a Transavia flight and the cockpit was locked out. The co-pilot had gotten up to use the bathroom. He had the urge his way back into the cockpit after the pilot didn't respond.
Air New Zealand will not punish this pilot because they don't want other staff members to avoid reporting fatigue issues.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
