Avoiding venus...
 

The Air Canada Boeing 767–333 (registration C–GHLQ, serial number 30846) was operating as flight ACA878 from Toronto, Ontario, to Zurich, Switzerland. Approximately halfway across the Atlantic, during the hours of darkness, the aircraft experienced a 46–second pitch excursion

The rest is here - TSB report

Although some will certainly make great use of "The FO initially mistook the planet Venus for an aircraft but the captain advised again that the target was at the 12 o'clock position and 1000 feet below" it still doesn't show great airmanship.

Some pretty good analysis and info about fatigue in that report.
Anyone who does shift work has probably experienced sleep-inertia. It can be very disorienting.

Worth reading.

The f/o must be one gungho fly by the seat of the pants ace with lightning quick reflexes, superb at hands on manual flying! In his mind, do not trust those electronic gizmo like TCAS, EPGWS...they are always giving false indications. Can blame him as he was probably still in dreamland and may still be in dreamland even when fully awake.

In my experience, if one wants to take a " controlled " nap, I always make sure the seat is retracted full back and reclined back with the pilot fully strapped with seat belt and shoulder harness so that he/she does not accidently interfered with the controls in case of sudden reaction to nightmares or agitation. I had one guy who woked up suddenly with a jerk, kicking the rudder and his hands flailing across to the thrust levers!

Fatigue in Air Canada
 

Transportation Safety Board of Canada - AVIATION REPORTS - 2011*- A11F0012

What is interesting but sad, is that the Relief Pilot who was to operate the return leg, ZRH-YYZ, was deadheading in the back. Air Canada, it seems, are trying to save a few bob, as a DHD only attracts 50% of the pilot's hourly rate.
Increasing shareholder value, while at the same time sacrificing flight safety has to be a major concern for those pax travelling Air Canada!
Comments?

Having spent many years on shift work in the pharmaceutical industry I can confirm that 'sleepiness' can create some pretty weird "illusions". Actually I'm surprised to read that a sleeping pilot can have such rapid access to controls on waking.

From the report:

Soooo.....being an airline pilot AND having small kids at the same time is inevitably going to cause fatigue problems??? Well I agree entirely but what can we do?

The really important bit is not to sleep too long. A lot of people think the longer you sleep the better. With controlled rest this is a dangerous assumption. It is extremely important that the nap be no longer than forty minutes. Sleep inertia may (I emphasize may) also have played a role in the Air India Express disaster. I have done a great deal of night flying over recent years and my experience is that a few minutes napping can be extremely helpful, but it needs to be carefully monitored.

The best quote is off Yahoo saying that "The Air Canada pilot was apparently suffering from "sleep inertia" -- the stupor that follows a long nap -- when he sent the plane plunging some 400 feet in 46 seconds, throwing those not wearing safety belts out of their seats."

I'll remembed that insane VS next time I'm landing the Ikarus...

Lots of pilots have flashed the headlights at Venus :O
Recollect elderly BOAC skip saying "Isn't it just lorry drivers who do that sort of thing?"

Aside from the serious issues of fatigue, it makes me feel fell much happier that as SLF I always have the belt on during cruise. (Despite what my wife thinks!)

Lurking....

Similar 'mistakes' made in the maritime world, where Venus is taken to be the stern light of another ship (when slightly above the horizon, a ship close by!).

Less dramatic consequences, of course :).

Isn't it more likely to be Sirius - the brightest star in the sky - which often seems to be changing colour as it rises in the East and is therefore more easily confused with an aircraft?

Does anyone else get the irony that an aircrew member took action to avoid Venus?




Once they land and get to the hotel they spend most of their time chasing it :E

Maybe....
 

My Sfo asked yesterday if Venus was an aircraft :)

And he was wide awake :}

I had an old friend who was a Wop/Ag on Lockheed Hudsons in 1941/2. He actually opened fire on Venus off the coast of Holland one night. He missed.

How do you know?

A sleeping first officer or, maybe a little like Venus, an unidentified flying officer or object!

Seriously though I don't know anything about Air Canada's SOPS but surely they mandate a couple of minutes before an officer who has been sleeping is allowed to take control? This incident is just another marker in the long fatigue debate! Anybody for a 3rd pilot on certain flights?

This needs to be shoved and rubbed in EASAs face until they get the message to leave Euros FTL alone.

"An evening with Venus; a lifetime with Mercury....."

Venus in the East?
 

There are some very sensible comments that note that Venus is currently in the West in the evening. That's true, but this event took place in January 2011, when Venus was rising in the East ahead of the Sun in the morning.