They fell asleep during the flight, sensationally missing the airport of arrival .
It happened last August 15 and now two Ethiopian Airlines pilots have been suspended, pending further measures.
"The affected crew has been removed from operations pending further investigation," the Ethiopian flag carrier announced in a statement posted on its website.
"Based on the outcome of the investigation, appropriate corrective actions will be taken. Safety has always been and will continue to be our first priority," he added.
"We received a report indicating that Ethiopian flight number ET343 en route from Khartoum to Addis Ababa temporarily lost communication with Addis Ababa air traffic control on August 15, 2022. The flight then landed safely after communication. has been restored, "writes the airline (without confirming that the two have fallen asleep).
The lightness of the two drivers could have had tragic consequences. Instead everything was resolved with a "u" inversion lasting 25 minutes.
The air traffic controllers had tried to contact the pilots immediately after the 154-seat Boeing 737 had passed the point where it was supposed to begin its descent, but to no avail. Only an alarm from the security system had woken them .
Alex Macheras, an aviation analyst, called the incident "deeply troubling". "Pilot fatigue is nothing new and continues to be one of the most significant threats to aviation safety internationally," he stressed on Twitter. (Unioneonline / lf)