Plane flies 30 miles off course after pilot ‘falls asleep’

Australian aviation officials are investigating an incident in which a pilot missed his destination by almost 30 miles after reportedly falling asleep at the controls of the plane.

The twin-engine Piper PA-31 Navajo, operated by charter service Vortex Air, took off from Devonport, Tasmania, on the morning of 8 November for an hour-long flight to neighbouring King Island.

However, air traffic data shows that the aircraft flew past the runway at King Island Airport without making a descent.

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The plane then continued on for another 46km (28.5 miles) before reversing course and heading back to the airport, where it landed safely. It is not known how many, if any, passengers were on board the flight.

“The trip was the first of seven flown that day by the Piper PA-31 Navajo, which can carry up to nine passengers,” says The Australian.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau says it is treating it as a “serious operational incident” caused by “pilot incapacitation”.

Its investigation “will involve reviewing operational Vortex Air procedures and interviewing the pilot”, says the Daily Mail, and is expected to conclude early next year.

The director of Vortex Air has so far declined media requests for comment.