Can pilots sleep after they activate the auto-pilot?

Answer 1

So lets answer this a different way. On my airplane, once I lift off and engage the autopilot - it flies all the way to the destination. I have filed IFR, and unless there is a route change (usually not because I'm GPS direct), then I am cleared to follow a certain path at a certain speed all the way to the destination. And my GPS navigator is programmed to follow the path.

Since I'm flying at Flight Levels (above 18,000 feet) I usually see no other traffic until it's time to land.

The autopilot is so good it will even descend right to touch down.

Now should I sleep - heck no. I need to monitor the autopilot and make sure it does what it is supposed to in following the route, and I must communicate with ATC along the way. ATC may change the route for weather, and I must be able to reprogram the flight management system for the change. Also, I have to switch fuel tanks every once in a while to keep the left / right and front / rear balance correct - and to keep the engine from running a tank dry. And let me tell you, failing any of the above, there will be heck to pay if I manage to live to land somewhere.

What the autopilot does is reduce my workload. Even in a well trimmed plane, it moves a little up, down, sideways - and the autopilot constantly returns the plane to it's intended course.

While on approach, the autopilot ensure that I am lined up while I attend to watching for traffic, or if it's a landing to minimums, ensures that when I get to the decision point, and don't turn it off - it automatically commands a go-around.

Oh, yeah, my airplane - a Cessna P-210 - and it's probably got more electronics on it than many of the passenger jets flying. But I use it for business, and it's worth it.

Answer 2

NO!!!
I hate to sound like a legal know it all, but I have allot of professional experience in the area of aircraft operations, including serving with two major airlines.

The FAA regulations address this in many areas, too many to list here.

Some examples are:
Part 91.13(a) Aircraft operations for the purpose of air navigation. No person may operate an aircraft in a careless or reckless manner so as to endanger the life or property of another.

This is the only rule (that I found) that addresses flight crews sleeping while in flight:
121.485 Flight time limitations: Three or more pilots and an additional flight crewmember.

(a) Each certificate holder conducting flag operations shall schedule its flight hours to provide adequate rest periods on the ground for each pilot who is away from his base and who is a pilot on an airplane that has a crew of three or more pilots and an additional flight crewmember. It shall also provide adequate sleeping quarters on the airplane whenever a pilot is scheduled to fly more than 12 hours during any 24 consecutive hours.

Part 121 of the regulations are those that address operations of airline transport. There are many regulations addressing crew times and rest periods. There are no allowances for sleeping at the controls of the aircraft.

Answer 3

One pilot must be awake AT ALL TIMES, auto pilot or not. This is in case something goes wrong, which takes human intervention to fix (If there are problems with the auto pilot and the human pilot is asleep, then the plane is pretty screwed.)

If they are two pilots however, then they take turns napping; one stays awake to fly while the other sleeps or eats, whatever. This is what usually happens in longer, international flights.

Answer 4

The better question is, can we stay awake after we activate the auto pilot. I have a couple of friends who were dead heading back to California from new york late one night after dropping of their passengers from Europe. The plane was empty, the flight attendant asleep in back and both these guys, as tired as they were, dozed off somewhere over Colorado. One center controller after another tried to raise them on the radio as they passed through each sector but nobody was able to rouse them. They eventually woke up a couple hundred miles offshore over the pacific. You can imagine how the investigation ended up on this one.

Obviously they should have spent the night in new york but they wanted to get home, gethomeitis we call it, after a couple weeks in Europe. Between jet lag and the long transatlantic flight they were beyond ready to fly. I'm a firm believer that little "power naps" are appropriate for long range flight crews. The FAA is looking at it but they've been doing that for about fifteen years now. If they'd get off their butts and make it happen, I'm sure these guys would have made good use of it and perhaps not lost their licenses for ninety days much less creating the hazard that they did to other aircraft. Just a good thing it happened in the wee hours after midnight when not much other than the freighters were flying.

Answer 5

They can sleep without activating an automatic pilot, too. They are required to be at the controls, not awake at the controls. It is common for one pilot to be asleep while another flies or monitors the automatic pilot. Sometimes both sleep, but that is not such a good idea. At times on very long single-pilot flights the pilot sleeps, whether there is an automatic pilot or not.

Answer 6

Sure they can, but not legally, unless there are 3 pilots or more for extremely long flights. There are no airliners certified for one pilot operations, so if one is asleep two must be in control of the aircraft.

Answer 7

I think sleeping after engaging an Auto-pilot would be like taking a nap after engaging cruise control in your car on a highway doing 130mph.

Answer 8

There was an incident several years ago where a salesman, who flew quite a bit, would set his autopilot and a timer, take a nap (he was flying a small twin solo), wake up and check things and go back to napping.
Seems he ended up on the side of a mountain.
Appears to be a not too intelligent thing to do flying solo

Answer 9

They can....but they should never do that.
There was an NTSB report of a fatal accident where the pilot of a plane fell asleep while he was on final approach on an instrument landing....so it is documented that it happens...but it is a really really bad practice.

Answer 10

on a plane where there is more then one pilot then yes they do take turns resting or sleeping . one pilot must be awake all the time and aware of what is going on in and around the plane