Ethiopian Airlines suspends pilots who missed landing because they fell asleep

[Cage Rattler]

Flight leaving at 3.30 am also doesn't help. Only being around a two hours journey is a bit odd falling asleep with not a huge amount of spare time either. Would be interesting to know their schedules before that flight.

 

[Cosmik Debris]

Can't these planes land themselves these days? No point in waking up the pilots if they are having a good kip.

They can and do. If there is mist and no vis, the aircraft auto lands. It was the reason Siemens had to build in a random error on the landing software because the wheels hit the runway at the exact same spot each time for each landing, destroying the runway section. Remember the reports of the hole in the runway at airports that had to be fixed?

 

[R13...]

I have a parcel delivery to Auckland, NZ.

The Phillips Airflyer XXXXXXXL will deliver that no trouble.

 

[Bill Clitnon]

They can and do. If there is mist and no vis, the aircraft auto lands. It was the reason Siemens had to build in a random error on the landing software because the wheels hit the runway at the exact same spot each time for each landing, destroying the runway section. Remember the reports of the hole in the runway at airports that had to be fixed?

Are you sure about this? I would be amazed if it was true. Do you perhaps have a link to an article or something? Would like to read up on it.

 

[Flanders]

When they examine the CVR:

23:28:30 - Capt: Check it out, if I close my eyes it reminds me of the sound on those looong car trips as a kid.

23:28:35 - FO: Hey, you're right it does...

 

[CommonSense]

That would have been more impressive if they didn't adjust the flaps and put the gear down themselves (or fiddle with dials and switches too).

Can imagine the plane landing itself without gear down and without flaps. Will be coming in way too fast (no flaps) and then cause a awful ruckus on the ground when it screetches to a stop, hopefully still on the runway and intact, but most likely off the runway edge and maybe requiring some assembly again.

 

[Cosmik Debris]

Are you sure about this? I would be amazed if it was true. Do you perhaps have a link to an article or something? Would like to read up on it.

Yes, a passenger plane can land by itself using the autopilot, through a system that is often referred to as 'autoland'. The pilots can program the autopilot to carry out the landing automatically whilst the pilots monitor the aircraft's systems. However, there are limitations as to when the autoland system can be used.

Can Passenger Planes Land Automatically by Themselves? | FDF

Can an aeroplane land by itself automatically without the pilots? How do aircraft land on their own? We explain when and how they land using the autopilot.

www.flightdeckfriend.com

It's not used as the norm, only in zero vis and with airports equipped to allow it and specific conditions contained in the link. I have often been on flights when it was announced that we would be landing using autoland because of zero vis.

 

[ForceFate]

Yes, a MODERN passenger plane can land by itself using the autopilot, through a system that is often referred to as 'autoland'. The pilots can program the autopilot to carry out the landing automatically whilst the pilots monitor the aircraft's systems. However, there are limitations as to when the autoland system can be used.

Can Passenger Planes Land Automatically by Themselves? | FDF

Can an aeroplane land by itself automatically without the pilots? How do aircraft land on their own? We explain when and how they land using the autopilot.

www.flightdeckfriend.com

It's not used as the norm, only in zero vis and with airports equipped to allow it and specific conditions contained in the link. I have often been on flights when it was announced that we would be landing using autoland because of zero vis.

^^^

 

[wingnut771]

Yes, a passenger plane can land by itself using the autopilot, through a system that is often referred to as 'autoland'. The pilots can program the autopilot to carry out the landing automatically whilst the pilots monitor the aircraft's systems. However, there are limitations as to when the autoland system can be used.

Can Passenger Planes Land Automatically by Themselves? | FDF

Can an aeroplane land by itself automatically without the pilots? How do aircraft land on their own? We explain when and how they land using the autopilot.

www.flightdeckfriend.com

It's not used as the norm, only in zero vis and with airports equipped to allow it and specific conditions contained in the link. I have often been on flights when it was announced that we would be landing using autoland because of zero vis.

Why were they manually operating the flaps and landing gear?

 

[Bill Clitnon]

Yes, a passenger plane can land by itself using the autopilot, through a system that is often referred to as 'autoland'. The pilots can program the autopilot to carry out the landing automatically whilst the pilots monitor the aircraft's systems. However, there are limitations as to when the autoland system can be used.

Can Passenger Planes Land Automatically by Themselves? | FDF

Can an aeroplane land by itself automatically without the pilots? How do aircraft land on their own? We explain when and how they land using the autopilot.

www.flightdeckfriend.com

It's not used as the norm, only in zero vis and with airports equipped to allow it and specific conditions contained in the link. I have often been on flights when it was announced that we would be landing using autoland because of zero vis.

LOL sorry I should have been more specific - I was talking about the accuracy software bug part.

I have been part of the cockpit crew (B777) during a few autolands and we practice it in the sim, but have never heard about this. I asked numerous other pilots and 2 of them said they actually have heard something similar before, but I can't find anything online.

From my experience I just struggle to believe it due to a number of reasons, but I am happy to be proven wrong.

 

[Bill Clitnon]

Why were they manually operating the flaps and landing gear?

It always needs to be operated manually.

 

[wingnut771]

It always needs to be operated manually.

So then planes can't land themselves.

 

[Gordon_R]

So then planes can't land themselves.

A handful of major airports have an ILS system certified for autolanding in bad weather conditions (with appropriate pilot training), but generally speaking aircraft are not certified to land by themselves.

Lengthy background reading:

Autoland - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Bill Clitnon]

So then planes can't land themselves.

Nope. Still gotta move a few levers and press a few buttons, and obviously monitor everything.

 

[Bill Clitnon]

A handful of major airports have an ILS system certified for autolanding in bad weather conditions (with appropriate pilot training), but generally speaking aircraft are not certified to land by themselves.

Lengthy background reading:

Autoland - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Actually all the major airports around the world can accommodate autolands and pretty much all the big airliners today have autoland capability. Training takes minimal time - pretty much just gotta know what is required, what to look out for and what call outs to make.

If you are talking about smaller general aviation aircraft then yes, very few have autoland capabilities.

 

[Grant]

This is why i dont fly. Gimme a 320d and i will drive anywhere.

a 10day holiday in Mauritius to be a bit of a challenge

 

[r00igev@@r]

The pilots were busy joining the mile high club.

 

[r00igev@@r]

The pilots were busy joining the mile high club

The Phillips Airflyer XXXXXXXL will deliver that no trouble.

The Ever Given had a shipment of those onboard and it tried to self destruct and save humanity.
It failed.

 

[Blackhand]

Was a similar story some years ago, pilots nodded off, woke up too late to start the descent, except the captain decided to force the landing.

They made it down to the runway but were too fast, so the landing gear didn’t deploy, the pilots were in too much of a mad rush to notice. They attempted the landing and realized they were in trouble when the scraping on the runway started, so they pulled up for a go-around. They had enough power to get back up, but all the engines had now been damaged from scraping along the runway and cut out before they could complete the go-around. They crashed killing everyone on board.

The point is, this could have been a lot worse. At least the pilots accepted their mistake and went on to do a safe landing.

 

[ForceFate]

Was a similar story some years ago, pilots nodded off, woke up too late to start the descent, except the captain decided to force the landing.

They made it down to the runway but were too fast, so the landing gear didn’t deploy, the pilots were in too much of a mad rush to notice. They attempted the landing and realized they were in trouble when the scraping on the runway started, so they pulled up for a go-around. They had enough power to get back up, but all the engines had now been damaged from scraping along the runway and cut out before they could complete the go-around. They crashed killing everyone on board.

The point is, this could have been a lot worse. At least the pilots accepted their mistake and went on to do a safe landing.

This was in India or Pakistan if my one neuron is firing correctly.