Dylan Bettencourt
An Ethiopian Airlines flight missed its stop at the Addis Ababa Bole International Airport after the pilot took a snooze.
The Boeing 737-800 flew over the airport at 35,000 feet and only turned around when the autopilot disconnected and sounded an alarm to wake the pilot.
A spokesperson for the airline declined to comment on whether or not the pilot was asleep but did confirm an investigation was underway.
“We have received a report which indicates Ethiopian flight number ET343 en route from
Khartoum to Addis Ababa temporarily lost communication with Addis Ababa Air Traffic Control on 15 August. The flight later landed safely after communication was restored,” the spokesperson said, as per Business Insider.
“The relevant crew have been removed from operations pending further investigation. Appropriate corrective action will be taken based on the outcome of the investigation. Safety has always been and will continue to be our first priority.”
Reports suggest the pilot did not respond to several communication requests from air traffic control and was only woken by the siren after missing its destination.
FlightAware data showed the plane missing the runway before picking up speed again and making a 25-minute trip back to the airport to land.
Pilot fatigue is a concern as several airlines have been faced in recent months with an upsurge in travel, putting increased demands on pilots.
In May of this year La Repubblica reported a pilot falling asleep on a flight between New York and Rome.
In July, Wizz Air CEO said his pilots should be flying more hours with the pilots meanwhile telling CNN sickness and fatigue had increased dramatically following the relaxing of Covid-19 restrictions globally.
Image source: @AviationSource
