Asleep at the wheel?

[hawker driver]

Here is a story I found.
Aloha!!


http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp ... 4#23307854

[twinpratts]

Not surprising... back side of the clock, probably did a Redeye the night before... throw in some personal stress & problems at home... it's hard to make your body sleep when you need it to. All this and loud hotels... I can see how it can happen.
HOWEVER. This guy seems to think 'Sleeping on the flightdeck at any time is not acceptable'... either you have a program in place at the company to deal with the problem, or you're waiting for an accident to happen.

[Captain CADORS]

Hey twinpratts,

Just wondering if there are Transport Canada approved programs for 705 ops allowing one crew member to sleep while the other is awake? I've heard that one of our major carriers here in Canada has provisions for crew rest on the flight deck provided there is wakefulness 30 minutes prior to descent. Is this accurate?

Yours,

CADORS

[Pratt X 3]

Don't think this happened on the backside of the clock (10am) and I don't think they do many red-eyes with the CRJ. Here's another article:

http://www.usatoday.com/travel/flights/ ... leep_N.htm

And the Flightaware link:

http://flightaware.com/live/flight/ASH1 ... /PHNL/PHTO

[NorthSky]

Yes Captain Cadors, CARS provide for inflight rest for Canadian operators. Sorry too lazy to find a refernce for ya.

[Cleared to FL370]

Hey twinpratts,

Just wondering if there are Transport Canada approved programs for 705 ops allowing one crew member to sleep while the other is awake? I've heard that one of our major carriers here in Canada has provisions for crew rest on the flight deck provided there is wakefulness 30 minutes prior to descent. Is this accurate?

Yours,

CADORS

Captain Cadors:
Here is the reference that you are looking for:

Controlled Rest on the Flight Deck

700.23 An air operator may institute a program of controlled rest on the flight deck if

(a) The program is authorized in its air operator certificate; and

(b) The air operator and the flight crew members comply with the Commercial Air Service

720.23 Controlled Rest on the Flight Deck

The standards for compliance with this section require that the air operator's program is outlined in the company operations manual and contains the following elements:

(1) Training

Every flight crew member who participates in the controlled rest on the flight deck program shall have received training in the program as well as training in the general principles of fatigue and fatigue countermeasures.

(2) Pre-flight Activities

(a) The pilot-in-command shall determine if operational considerations allow or preclude the use of controlled rest on the flight deck based on guidelines developed by the air operator;

(b) the flight crew members' rest periods will be planned at a pre-flight briefing to enable them to anticipate and maximize the sleep opportunity and to manage their alertness. If required, this briefing can occur in flight; and

(c) the briefing shall include:

(i) the choice of rest sequence;

(ii) planned and unplanned wake-up criteria;

(iii) transfer of control procedures; and

(iv) co-ordination with the flight attendants.

(3) Pre-rest Period

Pre-rest period activities should take approximately 5 minutes and shall include:

(a) the transfer of duties;

(b) an operational briefing;

(c) completion of physiological needs;

(d) co-ordination with the flight attendants; and

(e) time for the flight crew member preparing to rest to become comfortable in the flight deck seat.
(amended 1998/03/23; previous version)

(4) Rest Period

(a) Only one flight crew member at a time shall rest and the other flight crew member(s) shall remain alert. An alertness monitor may be considered as a back-up system;
(amended 1998/03/23; previous version)

(b) The resting flight crew member's duties shall be completed by the non-resting flight crew member(s);
(amended 1998/03/23; previous version)

(c) All flight crew members shall remain on the flight deck throughout the rest period;

(d) Each rest period shall be limited to a maximum of 45 minutes to avoid sleep inertia when the flight crew member is awakened;

(e) Rest periods shall occur only during the cruise phase of the flight and shall be completed at least 30 minutes before planned top of descent, workload permitting; and

(f) If required, more than one sleep opportunity may be taken by the flight crew members.

(5) Post-rest Period

(a) Unless required due to an abnormal or emergency situation, at least 15 minutes without any flight duties should be provided to the awakened flight crew member to allow sufficient time to become fully awake before resuming normal duties; and

(b) an operational briefing shall be given to the awakened flight crew member.

[hawker driver]

Mon, 25 Feb '08
Flight Crew Under FAA Investigation

Two pilots under suspicion for napping on an inter-island go! Airlines flight have been suspended by the carrier, pending the completion of an FAA investigation.
As ANN reported, go! Flight 1002 overshot the airport at Hilo, Hawaii February 13, and flew out over the ocean at FL210 -- out of contact with air traffic controllers for over 20 minutes -- before finally turning back towards Hilo. The aircraft then made an uneventful landing.
Officials are investigating a number of explanations for the anomalous flight, including the possibility of a communications problem... but the evidence strongly suggests the pilots may have dozed off during the short morning flight from Honolulu.
FAA investigators noted to Honolulu's KITV-4 if the plane had suffered a communications failure, standard procedure dictates the aircraft stick to its flight plan, and land at the destination airport at the scheduled time.
The carrier, a subsidiary of Mesa Air Group, announced Friday the pilots in question have been taken off the flight line.
"The issue is currently under investigation and we are cooperating fully with the Federal Aviation Administration. Both pilots have been removed from flight duties pending the outcome," a go! Airlines representative said in a written statement to KITV.
The aircraft's cockpit voice recorder could provide some answers... although most CVRs only record the last 30 minutes of cockpit communications, and the pilots could have awakened prior to that cutoff -- if that is, in fact, what happened.
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