ITA A330 Pilots were both sleeping

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05-31-2022, 09:22 PM

AirBear

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ITA A330 Pilots were both sleeping

Flight on ITA from US to Rome, F/O was on a designated sleep break. The Captain fell asleep so no one answered radio calls for 10 minutes. Just as fighters were about to be scrambled the Captain wakes up and responds. On the ground he claimed it was radio failure but Mx said they were working fine. He got fired:

https://youtu.be/fjc62Gp2ANU

06-04-2022, 04:45 AM

maxjet

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Quote:

Originally Posted by AirBear

Happens more often than you would want to know. 99% of the time with no consequences.

06-04-2022, 05:59 PM

John Carr

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Well, at least the jets weren’t scrambled.

Just 2 of the more well known instances of a U.S. carrier;

https://www.ajc.com/blog/news-to-me/...outputType=amp

Dutch F-16's Intercept Delta Boeing 767 - Real Aviation - ARC Discussion Forums

Yourrrrrrrrrr onnnnn guarrrrrrrrrrrrd!!!!!

06-04-2022, 08:15 PM

Myfingershurt

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So foreign airlines do ocean crossings with just two pilots and still have a pilot in the bunk? Meaning single pilot in the cockpit?

06-04-2022, 11:00 PM

ObadiahDogberry

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Myfingershurt

So foreign airlines do ocean crossings with just two pilots and still have a pilot in the bunk? Meaning single pilot in the cockpit?

Under EASA regs, most transatlantic flights to/from Europe to the U.S. east coast can be done with two pilots. EASA also allows "controlled rest" breaks for pilots in the flight deck (the rules are that the cabin crew must be notified that a pilot is taking controlled rest, the sleeping pilot must have the five point seats belts in use, and his/her seat must be in the full aft position). In this case, a two pilot crew, and the FO was on a designated controlled rest break, in his seat on the flight deck, and the captain fell asleep too. Always hated doing eastbound transatlantic flights under EASA, as you are hitting your WOCL right about the time you are reaching the eastern Atlantic.

06-05-2022, 05:27 PM

Desdi

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Myfingershurt

So foreign airlines do ocean crossings with just two pilots and still have a pilot in the bunk? Meaning single pilot in the cockpit?

It may come as a surprise to some here that the FAA is one of the few regulatory agencies that do not allow “controlled rest”… but like anything in aviation if the remaining pilot (or cabin crew) do not follow the prescribed procedures “controlled rest” can become “uncontrolled” and things like this happen. When I was overseas before the other guy took his controlled rest I’d go back and fill my mug with coffee, SOP was to call back to the cabin crew every 20/40/top of the hour (if we were more than 3 min late they would call us), we also had an Eicas message that if no one touched a button knob or switch every 5 min or so and if you let it go a few minutes longer it would become a warning and all the bells and whistles would go off.

06-06-2022, 03:09 AM

Peabody17

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Ah yes, the Crew Alertness Monitor in the B-777. After x number of minutes of switch inactivity, it would show a cyan alert. If no switch activity then occurred for another x minutes, it would send an amber caution with the appropriate oral. If there still was no switch activity for another x minutes, it would fling a WARNING with all the bells and whistles.

06-06-2022, 07:29 AM

Desdi

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Peabody17

Well for our 777 it was an amber advisory [Pilot Response] first with no chime that would escalate to a master warning, then you would have to have a “carpet dance”/“tea and biscuits” with the evil East German CP. The feature might be different in successive software block points, or perhaps it’s a customizable option by operator. I would hope Airbus would have something similar for their long haul birds.