Passenger jet lands on autopilot after cabin crew 'too tired' to fly planePA


A jumbo jet carrying holidaymakers back from Spain had to be landed on autopilot because the crew were 'too tired' to fly, according to reports.

Pilots on board an Air Berlin flight from Majorca issued a pan pan call - a distress signal used in a state of emergency - as they approached Munich Airport, warning air traffic control that they were extremely fatigued.

According to the Mirror, German Air Traffic Control (DFS) confirmed the incident happened at 10.15am on 15 May.

DFS spokesman Axel Raab told German website WDR.de: "The request was granted and the plane landed 12 minutes later at 10.27 in Munich with no problems."

The body said it was the first time a pan pan call has been made because of fatigue.

The Mirror reports that Captain Ilya Schultz, president of the pilots' union Cockpit, described the incident as an "unusual and alarming event".

He reportedly said: "For me it is currently the only case I know of, which shows the dramatic nature of this incident.

"A pilot will only send such a dangerous message when he knows that he cannot guarantee the safety of the flight."

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