ITA Airways fired a pilot after he fell asleep while flying from New York City to Rome, causing a communication blackout and a terror alert.
The flight which departed John F Kennedy International Airport on April 30 was unresponsive for 10 minutes while flying over French airspace, prompting France to engage 2 fighter jets over concerns of a potential terror attack.
Investigators say the ITA Airways co-pilot was asleep during his designated sleep break, but the pilot fell asleep at the controls. ITA claims that although the pilot was sleeping, the 250 passengers aboard the plane were safe.
“All rules and safety procedures were carefully followed in compliance with the highest standards, with the usual support of advanced onboard technology, thus guaranteeing the highest level of safety for the passengers,” ITA Airways said.
“The plane can still fly on autopilot, but this is not smart or safe,” Aviation analyst John Nance said. The pilots could have fallen asleep when expected to monitor weather and fuel status, making it “extremely dangerous,” he added.
The pilot claimed there was a failure in the communications system making it impossible to respond to French Authorities.
The ITA Airways said they fired the pilot due to “strong inconsistencies between the statements made by the captain and the outcome of the internal investigations.” The pilot “did not comply with the procedures in force both during the flight and once landed,” they added.
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