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An investigation was opened on an airline pilot after falling asleep in the badpit of a cargo transport plane and flying over his Australian destination over a distance of 46 km, officials said Tuesday.
The pilot, who was not identified, was the only person on board the Piper PA-31 Navajo Chieftain with twin propellers. He was flying the autopilot on the morning of November 8, departing from Devonport (Tasmania), 250 km northwest of King Island, in Bbad Strait, his employer, Vortex Air, said in a statement.
The pilot "fell asleep involuntarily while ordering the plane," said the Melbourne-based airline.
"The problem became apparent when the air traffic control could not contact the pilot in flight and the aircraft exceeded the intended destination while using the autopilot," the statement said. .
The air traffic control records showed that several radio calls had been made to the pilot who was not reacting, the Australian newspaper reported.
The pilot landed safely on King Island, said Vortex Air.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau, an accident and risk investigator, and the Civil Aviation Safety Authority, the Aviation Regulatory Authority, , investigate the incident and the management of pilot fatigue by the company.
The office confirmed that the plane had flown over King Island Airport 46 km because of the pilot who was sleeping. He indicated that he would interview the pilot and review Vortex Air's operational procedures before a report on the incident was made public.
Vortex Air stated that the 6:20 am flight was the first day of returning to work after the pilot's leave. He continued to fly that day.
The newspaper reported that the pilot had gone to work despite the fact that he had not slept or slept the previous night due to a personal crisis.
"Vortex Air takes the safety of its pbadengers, crew and pilots very seriously and always complies with all safety procedures," the airline said.
"This is an extremely rare case, as evidenced by the company's excellent record of safety," he added.
The company said it was helping the pilot to "resume his duties safely."
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