Thread: For nervous fliers.

El Al pilot accidentally takes sleeping pill during flight

By Zohar Blumenkrantz




An El Al pilot took a sleeping pill by mistake about two weeks ago on a flight from Kiev, Ukraine. The pill eventually made him ill, forcing him to leave the cockpit during the flight.

The plane, a Boeing 737 with about 100 passengers on board, flew on under the sole command of the co-pilot. The details of the incident, which surfaced through an internal El Al investigation, were obtained by Haaretz.

The findings of the investigation reveal that the pilot mistakenly took a sleeping pill instead of the blood pressure medication he meant to take. During the course of the flight, the pilot's senses were dulled and he became disoriented and began to fall asleep. A flight attendant came to his assistance and removed him from the cockpit until he recovered.

El Al Airlines said in response: "The [co-pilot] acted according to procedure in such cases and allowed the captain to leave the cockpit and recover. After a short time, the pilot recovered, returned to his place and continued with the flight. At no point during the flight were the passengers or the plane endangered."

An aviation physician who asked not to be identified, said in principle there is no problem with pilots taking blood pressure medication and flying an aircraft.El Al pilot accidentally takes sleeping pill during flight - Haaretz - Israel News

Nice that they told folks 2 weeks after the event...heartening really.

Be fucked if I want to ride on a plane under command of some asshole with high blood pressure and taking meds for shit like that.
But if you want a Pilots license and can't pass the physical at home, now you know where to go to get it, I wonder if they require any experience?

Very funny story. Guess flights are dirt cheap on that carrier.

One of those stories that would have been better off never published. There is absolutely no danger involved with a co-pilot flying the plane. Much like the child in the control tower on take your kid to work day, some people are hysterical enough to get upset over anything and are therefore better off not being told anything.

^ Agreed. Complete non-story imho, this is why they have co-pilots in the first place.

^ the next thing is that they'll be reporting that the pilot had a shit during the flight. Sometimes all this freedom of information is good for is padding out the newspapers on slow news days.

Its not about the sleeping pill, its about the short time the pilot had. Now lets see the pics of the Lady please.

Originally Posted by blackgang

I wonder if they require any experience?

Minimum 100 hrs bombing and strafing Palestinians perhaps...

Being a fukin pilot ,going up to 30,000 feet or whatever in a can with 200 people on board ,Well, you would expect a guy to be sure, that taking a sleeping pills by accident was never gonna be a possibilty. He needs his head checking out.

WHAT DOES eL aL STAND FOR ?

Originally Posted by billy the kid

WHAT DOES eL aL STAND FOR ?

'To the skies'... Sort of a Buzz Lightyear thing I guess...

At no point during the flight were the passengers or the plane endangered."

This article has me wondering, I find it doubtful a pilot with high blood-pressure and on medication would be allowed to fly a passenger jet. In a Tri-star crash some years ago the pilot was found to be on anti-depressants and should not have been flying.

Originally Posted by billy the kid

WHAT DOES eL aL STAND FOR ?

1600 new homes in east Jerusalem ...

Originally Posted by billy the kid

Well, you would expect a guy to be sure, that taking a sleeping pills by accident was never gonna be a possibilty.

Agreed .. kinda makes you wonder what he'll fuck up next....