The pilots controlling the Boeing 737 were meant to begin their descent to Addis Ababa Bole Airport, but flight radar data shows they overshot their destination.
Air traffic control tried to get hold of the pair several times but were unsuccessful, but eventually they woke when the autopilot disconnected and sounded an alarm.
Radar shows the pair – at this point probably very freaked out – turning around and making a second attempt at landing the plane 25 minutes behind schedule.
Data confirmed the aircraft stayed at 37,000 feet as it shot straight over the airport it was supposed to land at.
Aviation analyst Alex Macheras tweeted: ‘Deeply concerning incident at Africa’s largest airline — Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 #ET343 was still at cruising altitude of 37,000ft by the time it reached destination Addis Ababa.
‘Why hadn’t it started to descend for landing? Why... Because both pilots were asleep.’
He said the pair were suffering from ‘pilot fatigue’, which he described as ‘nothing new’.
‘Hopefully both pilots got fired and the aviation authorities starting an investigation on the crew duty schedules etc of this airline! Thank god that nothing bad happened,’ one person wrote.
Others described the incident as ‘mad’ and ‘unprofessional and dangerous’, but others were more sympathetic, suggesting the pilots could have been ‘overworked’.
Ethiopian Airlines did not explicitly confirm whether the pilots were asleep or not, instead stating that the aircraft "temporarily lost communication" with air traffic control. This is perhaps understandable, as the incident only occurred less than a week ago and the airline is still conducting a thorough investigation.
It isn't clear just how long the pilots were asleep at this point; perhaps the pilots themselves don't even know. Data from FlightRadar24.com shows that the aircraft reached its cruising altitude of FL370 almost an hour before its scheduled landing in Addis Ababa.
Pilot napping, often called 'controlled rest,' is more common (and safer) than you might think and a key tool in fatigue management. However, both pilots falling asleep is a different issue entirely. As the International Air Transport Association (IATA) explains in its Fatigue Management Guide for Airline Operators,
"For two-pilot crews on long-range flights, planned 40-minute nap opportunities on the flight deck seat have been shown to provide an average of 23 minutes of sleep and to improve alertness and performance at top of descent. A short nap can improve alertness and performance and is a valuable mitigation strategy in fatigue management."
The likeliest factor behind this incident is pilot fatigue, which has caused similar incidents in the past. Not long ago ITA Airways pilots who fell asleep over France sparked a terrorism scare, which was also likely down to fatigue.
Aircraft Information:
Airline: Ethiopian Airlines
Code: ET/ETH
Aircraft: Boeing 737-8HO
Registration: ET-AOB
Serial Number: 37937
Age: 11Yrs 8Mts
Engines: 2 x CFM56-7B27
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