Airplane Pilot Falls Asleep, Overshoots Destination By Almost 30 Miles

An Australian airplane pilot could have been in for a rude awakening after he overshot his destination by around 30 miles. The unnamed pilot reportedly fell asleep in the cockpit, resulting in the small charter plane passing over its landing zone before safely rerouting and getting its passengers where they needed to be, according to the Daily Mail.

The flight took place early on the morning of Nov. 8, according to the Australian Transport Safety Bureau.

The plane was scheduled to take passengers from the island of Tasmania to the smaller King Island to its northwest. It was a charter flight on a nine-passenger Piper PA-31 Navajo.

The pilot fell asleep behind the wheel and flew 46 kilometers, or about 30 miles, past the King Island airport. Luckily for everyone involved, the plane eventually got to its destination safely. Still, the bureau will investigate the incident and interview the pilot, resulting in a report to be published at the end of the investigation.

Pilots can legally only fly for so long before they are required to rest, but fatigue can still be an issue. Fatigued or sleeping pilots have been involved in several crashes over the years, oftentimes after working long shifts.