Pilot of a piper PA31 scheduled air freight operator fell asleep 60 mi prior to reaching his destina...

Attributes
ACN	339548
Time
Date	199606
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ind
State Reference	IN
Altitude	msl bound lower : 9000 msl bound upper : 9000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	PA-31 Navajo Chieftan/Mojave/Navajo T1020
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute airway : ind
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	other other : other pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 300 flight time total : 3900 flight time type : 250
ASRS Report	339548
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I work a scheduled freight run, that has an 11.8 hour duty day with 6.5 hours flying with 7 legs. Working nights, I have to run errands during the day, sometimes cutting into my sleep time. That day I was awakened at XA00 am by the workers cutting the lawn outside my building. I finally got back to sleep at XB30 only having to get up at XD30 pm to take my car in to get fixed. I got 4 hours of sleep that day, none of it continuous. Halfway through my flying run, flying between mke and ind, I 'zoned out.' I don't remember anything for approximately 60 NM of flying distance. When I looked around, I realized I had passed ind (my destination) by 20 NM. I was hand flying the airplane, maintaining altitude and heading, but with no idea of what was going on. Once I realized what had happened I called ind approach, who turned me back to airport where I shot a visual approach and landed without incident. This is causing me to reevaluate my attitude of being the 'iron man' of work. I have never missed a day of work for any reason. Now I believe that it may be better to miss work than to be so tired as to not know what's going on around me. Also I am going to schedule those errands that need to be done on the weekends and not during the days when I need my rest. This incident scared me a little, back to the reality that I can't do it all.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF A PIPER PA31 SCHEDULED AIR FREIGHT OPERATOR FELL ASLEEP 60 MI PRIOR TO REACHING HIS DEST AND WOKE UP 20 MI BEYOND HIS DEST. HE SUBSEQUENTLY ASKED ATC APCH FOR CLRNC BACK TO HIS DEST WHERE HE ARRIVED SAFELY.

Narrative: I WORK A SCHEDULED FREIGHT RUN, THAT HAS AN 11.8 HR DUTY DAY WITH 6.5 HRS FLYING WITH 7 LEGS. WORKING NIGHTS, I HAVE TO RUN ERRANDS DURING THE DAY, SOMETIMES CUTTING INTO MY SLEEP TIME. THAT DAY I WAS AWAKENED AT XA00 AM BY THE WORKERS CUTTING THE LAWN OUTSIDE MY BUILDING. I FINALLY GOT BACK TO SLEEP AT XB30 ONLY HAVING TO GET UP AT XD30 PM TO TAKE MY CAR IN TO GET FIXED. I GOT 4 HRS OF SLEEP THAT DAY, NONE OF IT CONTINUOUS. HALFWAY THROUGH MY FLYING RUN, FLYING BTWN MKE AND IND, I 'ZONED OUT.' I DON'T REMEMBER ANYTHING FOR APPROX 60 NM OF FLYING DISTANCE. WHEN I LOOKED AROUND, I REALIZED I HAD PASSED IND (MY DEST) BY 20 NM. I WAS HAND FLYING THE AIRPLANE, MAINTAINING ALT AND HDG, BUT WITH NO IDEA OF WHAT WAS GOING ON. ONCE I REALIZED WHAT HAD HAPPENED I CALLED IND APCH, WHO TURNED ME BACK TO ARPT WHERE I SHOT A VISUAL APCH AND LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. THIS IS CAUSING ME TO REEVALUATE MY ATTITUDE OF BEING THE 'IRON MAN' OF WORK. I HAVE NEVER MISSED A DAY OF WORK FOR ANY REASON. NOW I BELIEVE THAT IT MAY BE BETTER TO MISS WORK THAN TO BE SO TIRED AS TO NOT KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON AROUND ME. ALSO I AM GOING TO SCHEDULE THOSE ERRANDS THAT NEED TO BE DONE ON THE WEEKENDS AND NOT DURING THE DAYS WHEN I NEED MY REST. THIS INCIDENT SCARED ME A LITTLE, BACK TO THE REALITY THAT I CAN'T DO IT ALL.

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.

Pilot of a piper PA31 scheduled air freight operator fell asleep 60 mi prior to reaching his destination and woke up 20 mi beyond his destination. He subsequently asked ATC approach for clearance back to his destination where he arrived safely.