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.

Date: 2004-01 · Aircraft: Caravan 208A · Phase: cruise

Anomalies: deviation-track-heading-all-types|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-clearance|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-far|other-fell-asleep

Synopsis

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.

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