China Airlines pilot filmed sleeping in 747 cockpit during flight

A senior pilot with almost 20 years of flight experience has been filmed sleeping in the cockpit of his 747 mid-flight.

The embarrassing video of the China Airlines employee snoozing comes just days after pilots with the airlines ended an unprecedented seven-day strike over issues such as pilot fatigue and long working hours.

Taiwan’s flagship carrier, which has its headquarters in Taoyuan International Airport, has responded to the incident saying the clip was filmed before the most recent strikes took place.

The video, believed to have been filmed by the co-pilot, shows the highly experienced chief officer with his eyes closed and his head down as he sits in the main seat of the cockpit.

While he is yet to be named, he is reportedly the airline’s most senior Boeing 747 pilot, with near 20 years of experience flying to mainly Tokyo, Okinawa, Seoul and Hong Kong.

The chief pilot is also an instructor in charge of simulations at the China Airlines Flight Training Centre.

Facing accusations including ignoring flight safety procedures, the pilot is said to have ‘received adequate punishment’, a statement by China Airlines said.

The airline added that the video was filmed prior to the February strikes which affected roughly 20,000 passengers booked on about 100 flights.

China Airlines has also suggested the co-pilot who filmed and released the video may also be punished for choosing to record the clip instead of wake his senior officer up.

Pilot fatigue has become a real issue in recent years.

It has been estimated that up to seven per cent of civil aviation accidents can be linked to tired pilots.

Fatigue can impact on a pilot’s cognitive abilities as well as affect their decision-making.

An Air India Express crash, which left 210 people dead, was attributed to fatigue.

A subsequent air accident investigation picked up the sound of snoring on the cockpit voice recorder, apparently for the the first time ever.