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Tragedy averted as Ethiopian Airline pilots sleep off mid-flight

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Tragedy was averted recently after two pilots flying an Ethiopian Airlines plane reportedly fell asleep and missed their landing window in Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian capital city.

The plane however landed safely but the pilots were suspended in the aftermath of the event in order to ensure thorough investigations into the matter.

The report was initially published by the Aviation Herald, a news website for the aviation industry, during the week.

It revealed that the two pilots were flying a Boeing 737 from Sudan’s capital, Khartoum, to Addis Ababa, and were eventually roused from their slumber after the autopilot disconnected before the aircraft was maneouvered to safety.

The report read in part, “After overflying runway 25L at FL370 the autopilot disconnected, the disconnect wailer woke the crew up who then maneouvered the aircraft for a safe landing. The aircraft remained on the ground for about 2.5 hours before departing for its next flight.

Read also:Ethiopian Airlines acquires Africa’s first A350-1000 aircraft

“On Aug 20th 2022, the airline confirmed the incident advising that both pilots have been suspended pending further investigation. Appropriate action will be taken based on the outcome of the investigation.”

Furthermore, Ethiopian Airlines on Friday noted that the crew had been “removed from operation pending further investigation. Safety has always been and will continue to be our first priority.”

The EU Aviation regulator, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency, told the media that it was aware of the incident.

It noted that the agency evaluates information from many sources as part of its continuous monitoring of non-EU air carriers “and takes action as appropriate to ensure operations meet our safety standards.”

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