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Old 25th Feb 2012, 23:22
  #554 (permalink)  
aterpster
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Machinbird:

Aterpster,
I too have investigated accidents (as a military aviator) but I have a different take on this captain's performance.
Have you ever considered the possibility that he never actually awakened? If you are tired enough, it is a distinct possibility.

I have personal experience with sleep driving which is a related concept.
I was young and driving a long distance under time pressure. On the second night of the trip in the middle of Kansas, I pulled off into a rest area (From the Interstate highway) for a quick nap. I set the alarm for 20 minutes into the future and laid down across the seats. Next thing I was aware of, I was driving down a two lane road with the oncoming driver flashing his lights. But where was the Interstate?
In the moonlight, there was another parallel strip of concrete off to the side!

To make a long story short, I had pulled out of the parking spot, reversed travel direction in the parking lot, and gone out the parking area Entry ramp! The car had no extra paint on it from the maneuver so it was not a "drive by braille" exercise. All this while asleep.
This was a manual transmission car too!!!
I fail to see the comparison. You were probably dead tired and certainly weren't operating under a structured environment. Stuff like that happens.

OTOH, the subject captain had just come off a rest period and was apparently on-duty for less than 5:00 hours, some 3:15 or so in flight. I don't accept that he suffered from extreme fatigue like you did. I do accept the possibility that he was suffering from what the accident reporters called sleep inertia. If so, that was his own fault. He could have scheduled a reasonable wakeup time with his F/O, but that would have required both cooperation and professionalism. Further, it is doubtful he was so groggy that he didn't hear any of the cautions issued by the F/O, for which he apparently had nothing but contempt.

I have no doubt this guy thought he was "the ace of the base."
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