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On 4/18/2012 1:51 PM, Geoffrey Kolbe wrote:
>> So I'm still left with the question of where the fully awake pilot was
>> and what he was doing when this incident took place.
>
> That is a good question Lu. Perhaps Gary could offer some insight on
> what might have been going on. Perhaps the captain was on his official
> nap and the co-pilot just nodded off.....?
>
> I notice that Gary's comments to date have not been critical at all.
> More in the line, "there but for the grace of God go I..."

I read several accounts:

If the (awake) captain's assessment was correct--and it was an
aircraft--the FO would have caused a collision.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/travel/travel-troubles/6766840/Sleepy-pilot-dives-to-miss-Venus

"The report said the first officer had just woken up, disoriented, from
a long nap, when he learned from the pilot that a US cargo plane was
flying toward them.

"The FO (First Officer) initially mistook the planet Venus for an
aircraft but the captain advised again that the target was at the 12
o'clock position (straight ahead) and 1000 feet below," said the report.

"When the FO saw the oncoming aircraft, the FO interpreted its position
as being above and descending towards them. The FO reacted to the
perceived imminent collision by pushing forward on the control column,"
the report continued.

The airliner dropped about 400 feet before the captain pulled back on
the control column. Fourteen passengers and two crew were hurt, and
seven needed hospital treatment. None were wearing seat belts, even
though the seat-belt sign was on.

The safety board said the crew did not fully understand the risks of
tiredness during night flights."

   

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