The strange case of the napping pilots….

OK so if you are working for a few trips a day going from A to B - and lets say you drive. If you feel sleepy - you turn up the AirCo, you open the car window or you get up and walk around.

So what happens if you are flying 50 pax and 2 Flight Attendants?

Well it seems that 2 Go! (Subsidiary of Mesa Group) Pilots did that on a 1 hour flight from HNL to ITO. They actually overshot and had to make some changes. So much so that first they were found out - when ATC had to wake them up, and then when they tried to cover them up.

http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2008/12/29/320541/ntsb-go-pilot-napped-regularly-in-mesa-cockpits.html

Were the passengers in any danger? ... actually possibly but then I am not an expert. Just suffice to say - that before you get on any Mesa operated flight - perhaps you should ask if the pilots are sleepy or not.

It seems that this was not an isolated example - the airline's chief pilot was apparently not aware which makes me even more nervous.

Don't you think?