3 in 4 pilots report dozing off or fighting sleep while flying planes

Three in four pilots have admitted to briefly dozing off or struggling to stay awake while inside the cockpit, a European survey has found.The report, released on Oct 26 by the European Cockpit Association (ECA), has renewed concerns about overworked and exhausted flight crews that, in turn, present an unseen risk to flying.The ECA drew on responses from about 7,200 pilots across 32 countries.Some 76.8% of those surveyed reported at least one cockpit “microsleep” in the previous four weeks, while 38.8% said they usually do not get enough rest to prevent fatigue from accumulating.They cited brief and uncontrolled sleep, head nodding and fighting to keep their eyes open.Microsleeps are involuntary episodes of sleep lasting a few seconds. People experiencing them may appear awake, even with their eyes open, but fail to process information, according to the US National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.The survey was voluntary and conducted online from Aug 4 to Sept 7.Reporting fatigue is itself a problem, the ECA said.Only 37.2% said they usually report themselves unfit when they are too tired to fly, while 24.2% said they do not report it and fly anyway.“When pilots fear career consequences, fatigue goes unreported and the risk returns to the cockpit,” Captain Coen George, an ECA board director, said in a statement.‘Alarming number’Incidents of pilots falling asleep while helming a flight have been reported in Asia.On Jan 25, 2024, both pilots aboard a Batik Air flight from Kendari to Jakarta fell asleep during the flight, according to Indonesia’s National Transportation Safety Committee. The Airbus A320 was carrying 153 passengers and six crew members.The captain had been resting when the first officer inadvertently fell asleep. The captain woke up about 28 minutes after the first officer’s last radio transmission, found the aircraft off its intended flight path and woke his colleague.The plane landed safely, with no injuries or damage.Investigators found that the first officer’s sleep before duty had been interrupted while helping care for his month-old twins.In a statement to People magazine, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency said flight-time limits provide a safety baseline, while airlines must actively manage fatigue through reporting systems, operational measures and a culture that allows crews to raise concerns without fear of consequences.The cockpit association’s president, Captain Tanja Harter, called for stronger oversight and protections for pilots reporting fatigue, saying the lack of meaningful progress since 2023 required action from airlines and regulators.“Having more than three in four pilots say they reported dozing off while at work is definitely an alarming number, and the industry does need to take note of this,” Bobby Laurie, a Pennsylvania-based travel expert and former flight attendant, told Fox News Digital.“But it’s not necessarily a warning sign that the flight that you’ve been on had a pilot or both pilots asleep,” he said.