NEW YORK — Two airline pilots reportedly fell asleep on a flight from New York City to Rome final month whereas their aircraft was nonetheless within the air with as many as 250 passengers on board, investigators discovered.

The investigation stated that each pilots of an ITA Airways flight that departed from John F. Kennedy International Airport on April 30 have been allegedly sleeping within the cockpit as their Airbus 330 flew 38,000 toes over France.

While one pilot slept throughout his designated sleeping break, the airplane’s captain fell asleep too, investigators stated.

Air site visitors controllers informed investigators they misplaced contact with the aircraft for about 10 minutes. Amid fears of a terror incident, they ready fighter jets to intercept the aircraft, however the pilots ultimately responded.

SEE ALSO: Hundreds more flights canceled, disrupting Memorial Day weekend

John Nance, an ABC News contributing aviation analyst, known as this example “extremely dangerous,” particularly if the pilots have been unable to watch climate situations and the aircraft’s gasoline standing.

“The plane can still fly on autopilot, but this is not smart or safe,” he stated.

ITA Airways, beforehand often known as Alitalia, stated the captain claimed the radios stopped working, however investigators discovered “strong inconsistencies between the statements made by the captain and the outcome of the internal investigation,” based on a press release.

The Italian airline stated in a press release that the captain’s conduct “was not consistent with the rules dictated by the company.”

The aircraft nonetheless managed to land safely in Rome, and ITA Airways has since fired the captain.

In April, pilots at Southwest Airlines and Delta Air Lines pressed airways to deal with pilot fatigue amid climbing demand for journey and staffing shortages.

“Fatigue, both acute and cumulative, has become Southwest Airlines’ number-one safety threat,” the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association, or SWAPA, informed airline executives in a letter.