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Air carrier heavy transport deviated from clearance track heading. First officer PF went to sleep making a turn with autoplt turn knob and captain was also asleep at the time. So did not report, but he must also have been asleep.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 129403 |
| Time | |
| Date | 198911 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : tbc |
| State Reference | AZ |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 35000 msl bound upper : 35000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zdv |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Heavy Transport, Low Wing, 4 Turbojet Eng |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Route In Use | enroute : direct |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : cfi pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 4900 flight time type : 900 |
| ASRS Report | 129403 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 245 flight time total : 12100 flight time type : 6000 |
| ASRS Report | 129414 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | non adherence : clearance non adherence : far other spatial deviation |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
Flight began at bos, continued through mdt-day-mci-lax. On the leg from mci to lax. The PF (me) dozed off while on autoplt. The aircraft was being turned manually with autoplt in approximately a 3 degree bank for course correction when I dozed off. The aircraft continued to turn until ATC called, waking me and the captain, who had also fallen asleep. The course had changed approximately 110 degrees from previous course. At the time we were cleared direct to tuba city. ATC asked if our RNAV was working ok. Our reply was that it was working ok, but that the autoplt had turned us the wrong way. ATC's reply was 'no problem, proceed direct tuba city when able.' we made an immediate course correction. Flight was concluded west/O further incident. A point to be taken: I was on duty well over the 16 hour duty limit. Also, we blocked 9.2 hours of flight time. That night I didn't realize that I had exceeded duty and flight time limits. I was assigned that flight and flew it west/O questioning time limits. I believe the course deviation from me falling. Asleep was caused by pilot fatigue. A contributing factor was that the company uses a flight following system rather than a dispatch system. I wish the pilot flight and duty times were observed more carefully.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: ACR HVT DEVIATED FROM CLRNC TRACK HEADING. FO PF WENT TO SLEEP MAKING A TURN WITH AUTOPLT TURN KNOB AND CAPT WAS ALSO ASLEEP AT THE TIME. SO DID NOT REPORT, BUT HE MUST ALSO HAVE BEEN ASLEEP.
Narrative: FLT BEGAN AT BOS, CONTINUED THROUGH MDT-DAY-MCI-LAX. ON THE LEG FROM MCI TO LAX. THE PF (ME) DOZED OFF WHILE ON AUTOPLT. THE ACFT WAS BEING TURNED MANUALLY WITH AUTOPLT IN APPROX A 3 DEG BANK FOR COURSE CORRECTION WHEN I DOZED OFF. THE ACFT CONTINUED TO TURN UNTIL ATC CALLED, WAKING ME AND THE CAPT, WHO HAD ALSO FALLEN ASLEEP. THE COURSE HAD CHANGED APPROX 110 DEGS FROM PREVIOUS COURSE. AT THE TIME WE WERE CLRED DIRECT TO TUBA CITY. ATC ASKED IF OUR RNAV WAS WORKING OK. OUR REPLY WAS THAT IT WAS WORKING OK, BUT THAT THE AUTOPLT HAD TURNED US THE WRONG WAY. ATC'S REPLY WAS 'NO PROB, PROCEED DIRECT TUBA CITY WHEN ABLE.' WE MADE AN IMMEDIATE COURSE CORRECTION. FLT WAS CONCLUDED W/O FURTHER INCIDENT. A POINT TO BE TAKEN: I WAS ON DUTY WELL OVER THE 16 HR DUTY LIMIT. ALSO, WE BLOCKED 9.2 HRS OF FLT TIME. THAT NIGHT I DIDN'T REALIZE THAT I HAD EXCEEDED DUTY AND FLT TIME LIMITS. I WAS ASSIGNED THAT FLT AND FLEW IT W/O QUESTIONING TIME LIMITS. I BELIEVE THE COURSE DEVIATION FROM ME FALLING. ASLEEP WAS CAUSED BY PLT FATIGUE. A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS THAT THE COMPANY USES A FLT FOLLOWING SYS RATHER THAN A DISPATCH SYS. I WISH THE PLT FLT AND DUTY TIMES WERE OBSERVED MORE CAREFULLY.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.