Sleepy Pilot Mistakes Planet for Oncoming Plane, Sends Passenger Jet Into Dive

[jakeXT]

A sleepy pilot who mistook the planet Venus for an oncoming plane sent his Air Canada jet into a steep dive that bounced passengers off the ceiling, injuring 16, and nearly caused a collision with a real plane flying 1,000 feet lower.

Air Canada initially described the injuries to 14 passengers and two flight attendants as the result of "severe turbulence," but a report released this week by the Transportation Safety Board of Canada explains what really happened over the Atlantic Ocean on an overnight flight from Toronto to Zurich on Jan. 14, 2011.

...

The pilot indicated that a U.S. Air Force cargo plane was approaching the Air Canada 767-300 at an elevation about 1,000 feet below the passenger jet.

The "confused and disoriented" first officer, however, believed that the planet Venus was the approaching plane, and was coming right at the Air Canada jet. He forced the plane into a dive.

http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/sleepy-pilot-mistakes-planet-venus-oncoming-plane/story?id=16158107

[taterguy]

1. That does it. I'm moving to Canada

[bluedigger]

2. Is that where they make that "Non Sequiter" cartoon?

[siligut]

3. Isn't this why plane lights blink/flash?

Planes have flashing lights to identify them, this guy didn't look long enough before reacting.

John Nance, a former commercial pilot and ABC News aviation analyst, said it was "not outlandish" for a pilot to confuse an object as bright as Venus for an oncoming aircraft. "What's surprising is that it went far enough to take evasive action," said Nance.

[Suich]

4. The lights on the wings blink/flash.

The "headlights" don't.

[siligut]

6. So Venus has flashing wings lights?

I get what happened, he had a gut reaction, before thoroughly examining what was in front of him.

[Suich]

7. I'm in the SeaTac landing pattern sometimes for

planes coming from the East and I can't tell you how many times I've thought I was seeing either a really, really bright star or a UFO, when the planes are flying right at me!

[siligut]

9. So you can understand his reaction?

Maybe because he felt he wasn't paying attention, he overreacted? I get it now, thanks

[chrisa]

8. When people are exhausted, they don't think correctly.

Probably what happened in this case.

I'm guessing those passengers won't be boarding a plane again any time soon.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

5. Somebody ended up doing a rug dance in the chief pilot's office...

Had a lotta 'splainin' to do.