Introduction
An incident involving Mihin Lanka flight MJ408 from Sharjah (SHJ) to Colombo (CMB) on 1 May 2015 was reported in electronic media. The pilot in command (PIC) was found snoozing en route and did not open the cockpit door for the first officer (FO) to re-enter. The Civil Aviation Authority of Sri Lanka (CAASL) initiated an inquiry.
Flight Information
The flight was operated with an Airbus A321, registration 4R-MRC, on a scheduled service from Sharjah to Colombo. The aircraft departed SHJ at 2010 UTC on 30 April 2015 and arrived at CMB at 0035 UTC on 1 May 2015. The crew consisted of two flight crew (PIC and FO) and six cabin crewmembers.
Incident Sequence
During the return sector, the PIC was pilot flying and the FO was pilot not flying. Prior to descent, the FO wished to use the washroom. According to the FO, when he reached for the call button to summon a cabin crew member, the PIC said “just go.” The FO interpreted this as not requiring a crew member in the cockpit and left the flight deck, closing the door. The PIC denied saying this and stated he expected a crew member as agreed in the briefing.
After using the washroom, the FO attempted to re-enter the flight deck by pressing the 01# code three times, but the PIC did not respond. The FO then used the emergency code to enter the cockpit. The PIC was found asleep.
Crew Statements
Interviews with crew members were conducted approximately 12 days after the event. The FO stated that no cabin crew member was called prior to leaving the flight deck. The purser reported seeing the FO near the toilet and a flight stewardess serving business class passengers. There was no call from the flight deck to the cabin crew during that time.
Investigation Limitations
The digital flight data recorder (DFDR) and cockpit voice recorder (CVR) were not preserved for the investigation, as the aircraft was released for subsequent flights. The investigation relied solely on witness statements, which were considered somewhat questionable due to the time delay and reliance on human recollection.
Conclusion
The report documented that the PIC was found snoozing during the flight, preventing the FO from re-entering the cockpit. No probable cause was explicitly stated in the available excerpts.