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
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt
Digital Travel Reporter of the Mirror totally seduced by HotelPlanner AI Travel Agent
Strike action set to cause travel chaos at Brussels airports
Phocuswright reveals the world's largest travel markets in volume in 2025