ark@rabbit.UUCP (07/09/83)
The following is a true story, taken from an FAA accident report: A pilot returned home late at night from a long cross-country flight. He taxied the airplane back to its parking space, shut down the engine, and was so tired he went to sleep in the airplane. Before daybreak the following morning, he awoke disoriented and confused. Looking around to see where he was, he discovered that he was at the controls of an airplane, that he couldn't see anything out the window, and that it was very quiet. He concluded that he was still on his long trip, that he had fallen asleep at the controls, and that the engine had quit. Therefore, he started the engine and applied full power. The airplane, which was not tied down, bolted across the ramp and came to rest enmeshed in another airplane. The pilot was not injured. Question: what did the pilot tell the FAA? Other question: Did the pilot have to inform the NTSB? In general, I think the NTSB only has to be informed of aircraft collisions if they occur in flight. Flight is defined as the time from when engine is started with the intent of flying to the time it is finally shut down. In this case, there was no intention of taking off -- the pilot believed (incorrectly) that he already WAS flying. Moral: If you're going to go to sleep in an airplane, put the keys in your pocket first...