Narrative:

The PIC and myself boarded the company's BE58 baron for a cargo run. Our first stop was in fulton county, GA. The flight and landing was uneventful. Our preflight briefing and WX reports showed that the day's flts would be conducted in VMC conditions. Our second leg was a stop in mobile, al. Again, the flight and landing was conducted in VMC and was uneventful. Our third leg was a stop in new orleans, la. After our takeoff from mob, approximately 20 mins into the flight, I advised the PIC that I was getting tired. I advised him that I was going to rest my eyes for a little while. He said that that would be fine and I proceeded to do so. The next thing I remember was waking up on final approach into msy. Once again, the flight and landing was uneventful. However, later I was advised that the flight was eventful. While I was resting, the PIC was flying and about 30 mi out from msy, the PIC fell asleep. The PIC remembers talking to approach control. He then stated that he turned the autoplt on and started reading a book. Then he turned the heater on. We overflew msy airport, and approximately 30 mi on the other side of msy airport, we were woken up to the calls of msy approach control. We then were given vectors back to the airport and the rest of the flight and landing was uneventful. It was a very misfortunate occurrence. I do feel very strongly that we were very lucky. We both learned a valuable lesson from it. No one was hurt or affected by our mistake. I was very glad to know this. I think a problem like this can be avoided by simply communicating with each other. Also, staying fit, and having enough rest is important as well. It is a mistake that will not happen again as far as I am concerned. If one is flying and gets tired, that person should communicate to the other person. Then at that point, it becomes a team effort on a higher level. Sleep is something everyone needs. From this lesson, it's something that we need to do more job effectively. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter called requesting identify strip since FAA and company are investigating the incident. The company has put the crew on restr. FAA is still investigating all aspects. Supplemental information from acn 357857: the sun was right above the horizon and all these factors contributed to my falling asleep. The massive heat, the rising sun, and the book. I started to get tired. I had also turned down the volume from the radio, so my copilot wouldn't hear the radio and wake up from the transmissions. I shut my eyes for a couple of seconds, opened them again, shut them again. That's when I fell asleep. And since the radio also was turned down, I couldn't hear when the approach controller tried to talk to us. With the headwind we had, I assume that I fell asleep for about 25 mins. We landed in msy, called the tower (on the controller's request) and explained what had happened. This will never happen again, ever!!!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BE58 FLC ON EARLY MORNING FLT FALLS ASLEEP AND OVERFLIES THE ARPT.

Narrative: THE PIC AND MYSELF BOARDED THE COMPANY'S BE58 BARON FOR A CARGO RUN. OUR FIRST STOP WAS IN FULTON COUNTY, GA. THE FLT AND LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL. OUR PREFLT BRIEFING AND WX RPTS SHOWED THAT THE DAY'S FLTS WOULD BE CONDUCTED IN VMC CONDITIONS. OUR SECOND LEG WAS A STOP IN MOBILE, AL. AGAIN, THE FLT AND LNDG WAS CONDUCTED IN VMC AND WAS UNEVENTFUL. OUR THIRD LEG WAS A STOP IN NEW ORLEANS, LA. AFTER OUR TKOF FROM MOB, APPROX 20 MINS INTO THE FLT, I ADVISED THE PIC THAT I WAS GETTING TIRED. I ADVISED HIM THAT I WAS GOING TO REST MY EYES FOR A LITTLE WHILE. HE SAID THAT THAT WOULD BE FINE AND I PROCEEDED TO DO SO. THE NEXT THING I REMEMBER WAS WAKING UP ON FINAL APCH INTO MSY. ONCE AGAIN, THE FLT AND LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL. HOWEVER, LATER I WAS ADVISED THAT THE FLT WAS EVENTFUL. WHILE I WAS RESTING, THE PIC WAS FLYING AND ABOUT 30 MI OUT FROM MSY, THE PIC FELL ASLEEP. THE PIC REMEMBERS TALKING TO APCH CTL. HE THEN STATED THAT HE TURNED THE AUTOPLT ON AND STARTED READING A BOOK. THEN HE TURNED THE HEATER ON. WE OVERFLEW MSY ARPT, AND APPROX 30 MI ON THE OTHER SIDE OF MSY ARPT, WE WERE WOKEN UP TO THE CALLS OF MSY APCH CTL. WE THEN WERE GIVEN VECTORS BACK TO THE ARPT AND THE REST OF THE FLT AND LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL. IT WAS A VERY MISFORTUNATE OCCURRENCE. I DO FEEL VERY STRONGLY THAT WE WERE VERY LUCKY. WE BOTH LEARNED A VALUABLE LESSON FROM IT. NO ONE WAS HURT OR AFFECTED BY OUR MISTAKE. I WAS VERY GLAD TO KNOW THIS. I THINK A PROB LIKE THIS CAN BE AVOIDED BY SIMPLY COMMUNICATING WITH EACH OTHER. ALSO, STAYING FIT, AND HAVING ENOUGH REST IS IMPORTANT AS WELL. IT IS A MISTAKE THAT WILL NOT HAPPEN AGAIN AS FAR AS I AM CONCERNED. IF ONE IS FLYING AND GETS TIRED, THAT PERSON SHOULD COMMUNICATE TO THE OTHER PERSON. THEN AT THAT POINT, IT BECOMES A TEAM EFFORT ON A HIGHER LEVEL. SLEEP IS SOMETHING EVERYONE NEEDS. FROM THIS LESSON, IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO DO MORE JOB EFFECTIVELY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR CALLED REQUESTING IDENT STRIP SINCE FAA AND COMPANY ARE INVESTIGATING THE INCIDENT. THE COMPANY HAS PUT THE CREW ON RESTR. FAA IS STILL INVESTIGATING ALL ASPECTS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 357857: THE SUN WAS RIGHT ABOVE THE HORIZON AND ALL THESE FACTORS CONTRIBUTED TO MY FALLING ASLEEP. THE MASSIVE HEAT, THE RISING SUN, AND THE BOOK. I STARTED TO GET TIRED. I HAD ALSO TURNED DOWN THE VOLUME FROM THE RADIO, SO MY COPLT WOULDN'T HEAR THE RADIO AND WAKE UP FROM THE TRANSMISSIONS. I SHUT MY EYES FOR A COUPLE OF SECONDS, OPENED THEM AGAIN, SHUT THEM AGAIN. THAT'S WHEN I FELL ASLEEP. AND SINCE THE RADIO ALSO WAS TURNED DOWN, I COULDN'T HEAR WHEN THE APCH CTLR TRIED TO TALK TO US. WITH THE HEADWIND WE HAD, I ASSUME THAT I FELL ASLEEP FOR ABOUT 25 MINS. WE LANDED IN MSY, CALLED THE TWR (ON THE CTLR'S REQUEST) AND EXPLAINED WHAT HAD HAPPENED. THIS WILL NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN, EVER!!!

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.