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A pilot is under investigation after falling asleep in the badpit of a cargo transport plane and flying over his Australian island destination of 46 km.
Vortex Air stated that the pilot was the only person on board the Piper PA-31 Navajo Chieftain with twin propellers and that he was piloting the autopilot during the flight from Devonport, in northwestern Tasmania, until King Island, in Bbad Strait.
The Melbourne-based airline said in a statement that the pilot "fell asleep involuntarily while ordering the plane".
"The problem became apparent when air traffic control could not contact the pilot in flight."
The airline said the pilot had landed safely on King Island.
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 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 flew over King Island Airport 29 miles because of the pilot's sleep.
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 indicates that the driver showed up at work although 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 follows 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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