ANA pilot admits “nodding off” at 36,000 feet
A pilot working for the Japanese airline ANA has been suspended after twice nodding off during a flight, the carrier has admitted.
The BBC News website states that All Nippon Airways apologised after the 56-year-old pilot admitted sleeping on the hour-long flight, which had some 184 passengers on board.
It reports that the pilot fell asleep about 20 minutes after take-off, once the Boeing 767-300 had “levelled off” at 36,000 feet – and though he was woken by his co-pilot, fell asleep again before the plane reached its destination. A spokesman reportedly confirmed the pilot had been asleep for two or three minutes.
The incident was reportedly noticed by an examiner from Japan’s Transport Ministry, who was carrying out a spot-check.
The pilot is quoted as saying that he had seven hours’ sleep the night before and that he had not mentioned any sleeping problems at a medical just days earlier. He reportedly said: “The sun was coming from the front and I nodded off.”
Report by Tim Gillett, News From Abroad
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