Narrative:

I was flying a C208 from ZZZ to st paul, mn. Approximately 45-50 mi southwest of minneapolis I was handed off to the minneapolis approach controller. I checked in with the controller, and the normal conversation took place. At some point after contacting the approach controller, I fell asleep. The autoplt was connected and held the normal course flown to st paul, which is right over the top of minneapolis international then to st paul, and then continued to fly the present heading. The aircraft also maintained 5000 ft MSL. The next event I remember is noticing that the GPS said 60 mi to minneapolis. I momentarily thought 'how could that be, I started 45 mi from there?' I then realized what had happened. I immediately pushed the microphone switch and called approach. They asked if I could hear them now, and I replied with the first thing that popped into my mind. I said something along the lines of 'I must have accidentally hit the switch or something.' the controller advised me that he would hand me off to the sector I was currently in, and I advised him I could cancel IFR and proceeded VFR. After making the turn back towards st paul I realized how stupid the radio transmission I elected to make must have sounded. I had figured I would call the approach control and speak to the supervisor when I got home. I landed under VFR uneventfully at st paul. I called the approach control supervisor. I talked to the supervisor. He was in a more humorous mood than I. I mentioned that I said the first thing that came to my mind, and that after thinking for a second, the transmission was rather stupid. He laughingly agreed. He said not to worry about it, things happen all the time. He also said that he thought I'd embarrassed myself enough, and not to worry about it any more. I spent most of the remaining saturday beating up on myself. I could not believe I did something that seemed so stupid, and so easy to avoid. Later in the evening, I progressed on to the subject of just how to keep this situation from happening again. I did not sleep very well for the few days leading up to saturday morning. I'm sure this had something to do with the event that happened that morning. I asked myself 'why didn't I sleep very well?' my typical sleep pattern was to sleep for approximately 5 hours during a layover in omaha, northeast. I then usually try to sleep when I arrive at my home, but generally cannot sleep more than a few hours. The 5 hours of sleep at omaha is not enough to live on, but it is enough to keep me from getting rem sleep while at home. I've learned that if I am going to prevent this situation from happening again, I need to plan on getting a larger block of sleep, around 8 hours, all at one time.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PART 135 C208 PLT FALLS ASLEEP WHEN 50 NM SW OF MSP, AWAKENING 60 NM NE. CANCELS IFR, PROCEEDS TO DEST AND ADMITS ERROR TO ATC AFTER LNDG AT STP, MN.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING A C208 FROM ZZZ TO ST PAUL, MN. APPROX 45-50 MI SW OF MINNEAPOLIS I WAS HANDED OFF TO THE MINNEAPOLIS APCH CTLR. I CHKED IN WITH THE CTLR, AND THE NORMAL CONVERSATION TOOK PLACE. AT SOME POINT AFTER CONTACTING THE APCH CTLR, I FELL ASLEEP. THE AUTOPLT WAS CONNECTED AND HELD THE NORMAL COURSE FLOWN TO ST PAUL, WHICH IS RIGHT OVER THE TOP OF MINNEAPOLIS INTL THEN TO ST PAUL, AND THEN CONTINUED TO FLY THE PRESENT HDG. THE ACFT ALSO MAINTAINED 5000 FT MSL. THE NEXT EVENT I REMEMBER IS NOTICING THAT THE GPS SAID 60 MI TO MINNEAPOLIS. I MOMENTARILY THOUGHT 'HOW COULD THAT BE, I STARTED 45 MI FROM THERE?' I THEN REALIZED WHAT HAD HAPPENED. I IMMEDIATELY PUSHED THE MIKE SWITCH AND CALLED APCH. THEY ASKED IF I COULD HEAR THEM NOW, AND I REPLIED WITH THE FIRST THING THAT POPPED INTO MY MIND. I SAID SOMETHING ALONG THE LINES OF 'I MUST HAVE ACCIDENTALLY HIT THE SWITCH OR SOMETHING.' THE CTLR ADVISED ME THAT HE WOULD HAND ME OFF TO THE SECTOR I WAS CURRENTLY IN, AND I ADVISED HIM I COULD CANCEL IFR AND PROCEEDED VFR. AFTER MAKING THE TURN BACK TOWARDS ST PAUL I REALIZED HOW STUPID THE RADIO XMISSION I ELECTED TO MAKE MUST HAVE SOUNDED. I HAD FIGURED I WOULD CALL THE APCH CTL AND SPEAK TO THE SUPVR WHEN I GOT HOME. I LANDED UNDER VFR UNEVENTFULLY AT ST PAUL. I CALLED THE APCH CTL SUPVR. I TALKED TO THE SUPVR. HE WAS IN A MORE HUMOROUS MOOD THAN I. I MENTIONED THAT I SAID THE FIRST THING THAT CAME TO MY MIND, AND THAT AFTER THINKING FOR A SECOND, THE XMISSION WAS RATHER STUPID. HE LAUGHINGLY AGREED. HE SAID NOT TO WORRY ABOUT IT, THINGS HAPPEN ALL THE TIME. HE ALSO SAID THAT HE THOUGHT I'D EMBARRASSED MYSELF ENOUGH, AND NOT TO WORRY ABOUT IT ANY MORE. I SPENT MOST OF THE REMAINING SATURDAY BEATING UP ON MYSELF. I COULD NOT BELIEVE I DID SOMETHING THAT SEEMED SO STUPID, AND SO EASY TO AVOID. LATER IN THE EVENING, I PROGRESSED ON TO THE SUBJECT OF JUST HOW TO KEEP THIS SIT FROM HAPPENING AGAIN. I DID NOT SLEEP VERY WELL FOR THE FEW DAYS LEADING UP TO SATURDAY MORNING. I'M SURE THIS HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE EVENT THAT HAPPENED THAT MORNING. I ASKED MYSELF 'WHY DIDN'T I SLEEP VERY WELL?' MY TYPICAL SLEEP PATTERN WAS TO SLEEP FOR APPROX 5 HRS DURING A LAYOVER IN OMAHA, NE. I THEN USUALLY TRY TO SLEEP WHEN I ARRIVE AT MY HOME, BUT GENERALLY CANNOT SLEEP MORE THAN A FEW HRS. THE 5 HRS OF SLEEP AT OMAHA IS NOT ENOUGH TO LIVE ON, BUT IT IS ENOUGH TO KEEP ME FROM GETTING REM SLEEP WHILE AT HOME. I'VE LEARNED THAT IF I AM GOING TO PREVENT THIS SIT FROM HAPPENING AGAIN, I NEED TO PLAN ON GETTING A LARGER BLOCK OF SLEEP, AROUND 8 HRS, ALL AT ONE TIME.

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.