PLT OF A BEECH DEBONAIR; BE33; FELL ASLEEP WITH THE AUTOPLT ON DURING THE LAST PORTION OF A MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT VFR XCOUNTRY FLT; AND OVERFLEW HIS DEST BEFORE AWAKENING AND SUCCESSFULLY RETURNING TO HIS DEST. HOWEVER; WHILE OVERFLYING HIS DEST; HE FLEW FOR 20 MINS ASLEEP RESULTING IN PENETRATING A WARNING AREA AND UNITED STATES ADIZ AIRSPACE.

2000-02 · NASA ASRS report 464691

Date: 2000-02 · Aircraft: Bonanza 33 · Phase: cruise

Anomalies: airspace-violation-all-types|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-far|inflight-event-encounter-loss-of-aircraft-control|other-plt-fell-asleep

Synopsis

PLT OF A BEECH DEBONAIR; BE33; FELL ASLEEP WITH THE AUTOPLT ON DURING THE LAST PORTION OF A MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT VFR XCOUNTRY FLT; AND OVERFLEW HIS DEST BEFORE AWAKENING AND SUCCESSFULLY RETURNING TO HIS DEST. HOWEVER; WHILE OVERFLYING HIS DEST; HE FLEW FOR 20 MINS ASLEEP RESULTING IN PENETRATING A WARNING AREA AND UNITED STATES ADIZ AIRSPACE.

Narrative

AT APPROX XA30 ON FEB/SAT/00; I DEPARTED ATHENS; GA; TO RETURN HOME TO SAVANNAH. THERE WAS NO WX OR TURB; OR ANY TFC OBSERVED ENRTE. I FLEW A DIRECT RTE AT 5500 FT MSL WITH THE AUTOPLT ENGAGED. ABOUT 30 NM OUT; WITH THE CITY IN SIGHT; I FELL ASLEEP. I AWOKE APPROX 20 MINS LATER. I WAS 30 NM OUT TO SEA; HAD PENETRATED THE ADIZ; AND HAD CROSSED INTO A RESTR AREA. ADDITIONALLY; I HAD BEGUN THE FLT WITH JUST UNDER AN HR'S RESERVE OF FUEL; SO I WAS DANGEROUSLY LOW ON FUEL. I HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN UNABLE TO FALL ASLEEP IN AN ACFT; EVEN ON OVERNIGHT INTL FLTS AS A PAX. RECENTLY; I'VE BEEN TRAINING FOR A MARATHON. AT NIGHT I GO TO SLEEP INSTANTLY; AND THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED IN THE AIRPLANE. ADDITIONALLY; I HAD GAINED 500 FT WHILE ASLEEP. I IMMEDIATELY TURNED THE ACFT TOWARDS SAV; AND MADE STRAIGHT-IN FOR RWY 27. I PRAYED; MADE ANNOUNCEMENTS ON UNICOM; AND LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT (ALTHOUGH WITH FUEL BELOW MINIMUMS). THIS ORDEAL WAS CAUSED BY A PHYSIOLOGICAL CHANGE IN THE PLT AS A RESULT OF EXTREME AND FREQUENT PHYSICAL EXERTION. LACK OF INTERACTION AND MONOTONY CONTRIBUTED TO MY FALLING ASLEEP. I HAD ASSUMED THAT BECAUSE I HAD BEEN UNABLE TO SLEEP ON AN ACFT WHEN IT WAS DESIRABLE; I'D BE UNABLE TO WHILE FLYING. I WAS WRONG.

Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.

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