Student pilot loses consciousness for 40 MINUTES while flying
Student pilot loses consciousness for 40 MINUTES while flying through controlled airspace as air traffic controllers scrambled to make contact
- An Adelaide student pilot woke up flying over water after falling unconscious
- His Diamond DA40 plane travelled for 40 minutes, entered controlled airspace
- Another plane came to assist and the pilot was able to land after coming to
A student pilot lost consciousness for 40 minutes while flying over controlled airspace as air traffic controllers scrambled to make contact.
The solo aviator in training was flying from Port Augusta to Adelaide’s Parafield Airport on March 9, when they put the plane on autopilot before passing out.
The Diamond DA40 plane travelled for 40 minutes and made an unauthorised entry in to Adelaide Airport’s controlled airspace at 11am, according to a report from the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB).
The solo pilot in training was 40 minutes in to a flight from Port Augusta to Adelaide’s Parafield Airport on March 9, when they put the plane in to autopilot before passing out
‘The pilot began to feel a headache in his forehead and engaged the autopilot,’ the ATSB said.
‘Prior to the flight he had suffered from a restless night of sleep and was recovering from a mild cold.’
‘During the flight from Parafield to Port Augusta, the pilot only consumed a bottle of Gatorade, some water and a chocolate bar during the stopover in Port Augusta.’
The transport authority does not specifically state if the pilot fell asleep or they suffered from a medical issue but states that they ‘infringed’ Adelaide Airport’s airspace during the flight.
By the time the pilot awoke they were flying over the water and were joined by a DA42 light aircraft in the area that had offered their assistance to air traffic control to locate the plane.
The assisting plane and Air Traffic Control then guided the student down to Parafield airport.
The Diamond DA40 plane travelled for 40 minutes and made an unauthorised entry in to Adelaide Airport’s controlled airspace (file image)
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