[QUOTE=freezingflyboy;323081]I can remember one quiet morning coming up from Mexico, involved in a pretty engrossing conversation with the captain. We evidently missed a handoff and it went so far as dispatch having to send us an ACARS message that we were on the wrong frequency. By the time we got the message we had already realized that we missed something and were trying to figure out what frequency we were supposed to be on. Point is it takes a few minutes to suspect something is wrong and then a few more minutes to figure out what frequency you are supposed to be on. Moving at 8 miles a minute, you're looking at going 24-40 miles in the 3-5 minutes it takes you work it out. And thats assuming you catch the error right away.

QUOTE]


You make a good point. A crew could lose situational awareness so badly that they forgot they were four miles high as they passed over the field without being asleep.