Call for an instant quote 0345 90 80 161
Open Mon to Fri 09:00 - 17:30 | Sat 09:00 - 16:00 (GMT)
30 September 2013 08:53
A report has emerged of two pilots, severely fatigued, who fell asleep in the cockpit at the same time
A couple of severely fatigued pilots who had only five hours' sleep in each of the previous two nights both nodded off at the same time in the cockpit of a UK passenger plane, according to an official report.
They were the only two people tasked with flying the aircraft, and are said to have not been given enough opportunity to sleep properly in the previous two days because they were on duty for too long.
The case is perhaps an extreme example of why having travel insurance can cover passengers for the most unexpected of potential problems.
UK pilots' organisation Balpa is currently opposing an EU plan to relax the rules governing the amount of time pilots should fly without a break.
Details of the incident, which happened on August 13, appear in a Civil Aviation Authority report obtained by a news agency inquiring about examples of pilot fatigue.
The authority does not identify the airline company or the destination of the flight.
A statement from Balpa said: "In the UK we have a strict set of flight safety rules which govern how long and how often a pilot can fly before their performance is impaired.
"The EU is proposing more permissive flight safety rules which would allow pilots to be flying aircraft whilst dangerously fatigued.
"These rules were not developed using scientific data and could have a grave impact on the safety of UK aviation."
The EU proposal is "flawed in many areas" with pilots being legally allowed to land an aircraft having been awake for 22 hours; pilots operating longer-haul flights (such as west coast US) with only two crew rather than the current three and pilots possibly being forced to work up to seven early starts in a row, Balpa said.
The Civil Aviation Authority report, entitled 'Flight crew suffering from symptoms of severe fatigue', said: "Reporter (almost certainly the captain) suggests both members of flight crew had only five hours sleep in two nights due to longer duty periods with insufficient opportunity to sleep.
"Both crew rested for 20-minute rotations and fell asleep."
19 April 2018
A self-injected smart drug may be the key to easing and preventing pain for migraine sufferers.
[more...]
17 April 2018
Despite its reputation as a party drug, ketamine is licensed as an anaesthetic. A recent US study found use of the drug via a nasal spray led to "significant" improvements in depressive symptoms in the first 24 hours.
Simple brain-training exercises carried out at home have been shown to reduce emotional stress in female breast cancer survivors, it's recently been revealed.
13 April 2018
Drinkers who consume more alcohol than UK guidelines suggest could be cutting years off their lives, according to new research.
12 April 2018
A recent study has revealed that people who sustain brain injuries are at an increased risk of developing dementia later in life.
11 April 2018
Scientists have announced their latest breakthrough in the battle against Alzheimer's disease, after neutralising a high-risk gene in a human brain cell for the first time.
07 April 2018
The Philippines is set to shut its most famous holiday island of Boracay for six months, after the President described it as a "cesspool".
05 April 2018
Taxes on soft drinks, alcohol and tobacco - nicknamed "sin taxes" - could be a powerful step towards combating rising rates of chronic diseases worldwide, research has suggested.
New "one-stop shops" to speed up cancer diagnosis are being trialled across the country for the first time.
30 March 2018
Doctors should tell patients that e-cigarettes are less harmful than smoking but not without risk, according to new national guidance.
29 March 2018
Young people suffering from mental health problems are finding it hard to get the support they need, a survey has revealed.
28 March 2018
Children exposed to epilepsy drugs in the womb may achieve poorer test results at school, a study has suggested.