SINGLE PLT IN NIGHT IMC OPS APPEARED TO FALL ASLEEP DURING CRUISE FLT. ATC CTLR EVENTUALLY CONTACTS THE PLT AND VECTORS THE ACFT TO ITS DEST.

Narrative

I WAS FLYING AN PIPER PA31-350. I WAS ENRTE FROM BFI TO PDX; ON AN IFR FLT PLAN. THE CONDITIONS WERE IMC; AT NIGHT; CRUISING AT 8000 FT MSL; BUT THESE CONDITIONS DID NOT CONTRIBUTE TO THE INCIDENT. I WAS ESTABLISHED ON V23; WHICH USES THE SEA VOR UNTIL 61 DME; WHEN THE PLT IS SUPPOSED TO SWITCH TO THE BTG VOR AND TUNE THE CDI TO 149 TO. PRIOR TO THIS LEG; I WAS STARTING TO EXPERIENCE A LITTLE FATIGUE ENRTE TO THE FIRST DEST ON THIS FLT. BECAUSE I WAS 45 MINS EARLY; I TOOK A NAP IN THE PLT LOUNGE FOR AT LEAST 30 MINS. FEELING RESTED AT XB00; I MET THE CARRIER AND DEPARTED AT XC00; AND DID NOT EXPERIENCE ANY FATIGUE UNTIL AROUND XD00; ENRTE TO PDX. TIME WAS ALSO NOT A FACTOR IN THIS RPT; SINCE I WAS ALREADY BEHIND SCHEDULE. AS PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED; I STARTED TO FEEL FATIGUED AGAIN AROUND XD00. THE LAST TIME I REMEMBER TALKING WITH ZSE WAS AROUND XE00. I DON'T RECALL ACTUALLY CLOSING MY EYES; BUT I HAD DEFINITELY 'ZONED OUT;' AND HAD MISSED SEVERAL RADIO XMISSIONS FROM CTR TRYING TO HAND ME OFF TO PORTLAND RAPCON. IN ADDITION TO MISSING THE RADIO CALLS; I HAD ALSO MISSED THE CHANGE OF COURSE; SO I WAS WELL OFF OF V23. CRUISING AT 8000 FT MSL; AND STILL NOT ON FREQ WITH PORTLAND APCH; I HAD UNDERSTANDABLY GIVEN APCH A DEFINITE SCARE. UNABLE TO CONTACT ME; PORTLAND APCH CALLED THE PDX MGR; WHO CALLED ME ON MY STANDBY RADIO. I HEARD THIS XMISSION LOUD AND CLR; AND I IMMEDIATELY CALLED PORTLAND APCH. BECAUSE I WAS SO HIGH; THE APCH CTLR HAD TO VECTOR ME AROUND TO AVOID THE ARR CORRIDOR. I LANDED AROUND XF00; AND WAS TOLD TO CALL ZSE AND GIVE THEM AN EXPLANATION. CLRLY; THE CONTRIBUTING FACTOR TO THIS INCIDENT WITH ATC WAS FATIGUE. I DID NOT GET ENOUGH SLEEP THE PREVIOUS 2 NIGHTS AND DID NOT IDENT THIS PROB UNTIL I WAS ON THE FLT. I SHOULD HAVE CALLED IN SICK; SINCE THERE WAS A RESERVE PLT. BUT; EVEN ENRTE TO PDX; I COULD HAVE REDUCED THE EFFECTS OF FATIGUE BY TURNING OFF THE HEATER; OPENING THE STORM WINDOW; AND TURNING OFF THE AUTOPLT. THESE ALL COULD HAVE HELPED ME STAY MORE ALERT; ENOUGH TO HEAR THE ATC XMISSIONS; AND TO HELP ME STAY ON THE ASSIGNED COURSE. AS A SINGLE PLT FLYING AT NIGHT; IT IS IMPERATIVE FOR ME TO GET ENOUGH REST TO REDUCE THE OCCURRENCE OF FATIGUE; OR TO AVOID FLYING IF THIS PROB PERSISTS.