- Boeing 737
- Both Pilots Fell Asleep Causing Aircraft to Overfly the Runway
According to BNO News: “Both pilots of an Ethiopian Airlines passenger plane fell asleep on approach to an airport in Ethiopia, causing them to overfly the runway before an alarm from the autopilot woke them up.”
The Boeing 737 was being navigated at an altitude of 37,000 feet when the pilots both slept in the cockpit and caused the plane to come near Addis Ababa Boke International Airport without descending.
The Aviation Herald reported: “[Air traffic control] tried to contact the crew numerous times without success.” The autopilot disconnected after the plane flew 37,000 feet over the runway, setting off an alarm and waking up the pilots.
The plane safely turned around and landed back at the airport approximately 25 minutes later.