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An small aircraft pilot fell asleep, overflew his destination about 600 mi, and ditched in the gulf of mexico.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 264331 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199402 |
| Day | Thu |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : pie |
| State Reference | FL |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 3500 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | military facility : pie tower : dal |
| Operator | general aviation : instructional |
| Make Model Name | PA-34-200 Seneca I |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | cruise other landing other other |
| Route In Use | enroute : on vectors enroute other |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : cfi pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 8200 flight time type : 300 |
| ASRS Report | 264331 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government other |
| Function | other personnel other |
| Qualification | other other : other |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other other spatial deviation |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : exited penetrated airspace flight crew : became reoriented other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
In sum: a flight instructor drove his car almost all night arriving at 6i2 in the early morning. He then did some paper work and then decided to fly a piper seneca PA34- 200 to csv, normally a 40 min flight. Nearing csv, the pilot fell asleep and flew about 600 mi and 210 mi out into the gulf of mexico before waking. When he awoke and became reoriented, he turned north towards pfn and called for help on 121.5. The coast guard, USAF and another light aircraft answered. The coast guard directed the pilot towards pie, the closest airport. Within about 1/2 hour, the pilot ran out of fuel. He then feathered the engines and followed the coast guard landing instructions. A coast guard falcon was overhead when he ditched, and immediately dropped a 6-MAN raft. The pilot was unable to get to the raft as he cannot swim. Before exiting the aircraft, the pilot took the only flotation available to him, 2 foam seat cushions. A coast guard helicopter dropped a rescue man next to the pilot within about 20 mins of entering the water. The pilot was then lifted in a basket into the helicopter. The pilot promises to learn to swim. He also thanks his version of the supreme being.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AN SMA PLT FELL ASLEEP, OVERFLEW HIS DEST ABOUT 600 MI, AND DITCHED IN THE GULF OF MEXICO.
Narrative: IN SUM: A FLT INSTRUCTOR DROVE HIS CAR ALMOST ALL NIGHT ARRIVING AT 6I2 IN THE EARLY MORNING. HE THEN DID SOME PAPER WORK AND THEN DECIDED TO FLY A PIPER SENECA PA34- 200 TO CSV, NORMALLY A 40 MIN FLT. NEARING CSV, THE PLT FELL ASLEEP AND FLEW ABOUT 600 MI AND 210 MI OUT INTO THE GULF OF MEXICO BEFORE WAKING. WHEN HE AWOKE AND BECAME REORIENTED, HE TURNED N TOWARDS PFN AND CALLED FOR HELP ON 121.5. THE COAST GUARD, USAF AND ANOTHER LIGHT ACFT ANSWERED. THE COAST GUARD DIRECTED THE PLT TOWARDS PIE, THE CLOSEST ARPT. WITHIN ABOUT 1/2 HR, THE PLT RAN OUT OF FUEL. HE THEN FEATHERED THE ENGS AND FOLLOWED THE COAST GUARD LNDG INSTRUCTIONS. A COAST GUARD FALCON WAS OVERHEAD WHEN HE DITCHED, AND IMMEDIATELY DROPPED A 6-MAN RAFT. THE PLT WAS UNABLE TO GET TO THE RAFT AS HE CANNOT SWIM. BEFORE EXITING THE ACFT, THE PLT TOOK THE ONLY FLOTATION AVAILABLE TO HIM, 2 FOAM SEAT CUSHIONS. A COAST GUARD HELI DROPPED A RESCUE MAN NEXT TO THE PLT WITHIN ABOUT 20 MINS OF ENTERING THE WATER. THE PLT WAS THEN LIFTED IN A BASKET INTO THE HELI. THE PLT PROMISES TO LEARN TO SWIM. HE ALSO THANKS HIS VERSION OF THE SUPREME BEING.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.