- Airline urged to ensure rest
- Indonesia probes sleeping pilots
- Flight deviates but lands safely
Indonesia is investigating the actions of the domestic airline Batik Air after discovering that both pilots dozed off during the flight for 28 minutes.
On January 25, two men provisionally suspended from Sulawesi to the capital Jakarta dozed off during a flight.
Reportedly, one of them was exhausted from assisting in caring for his newborn twins.
Despite a brief deviation from its intended trajectory, the Airbus A320 landed without incident, ensuring the safety of all 153 passengers and crew members.
A half-hour after takeoff, the 32-year-old pilot instructed his co-pilot to assume control of the aircraft because he needed to recover. A transport ministry report indicates that the co-pilot, who is 28 years old, consented.
However, the co-pilot also fell unconscious by accident. His wife had recently given birth to one-month-old twins, and he was reportedly assisting with child care.
After the last recorded transmission, Jakarta air traffic control attempted to communicate with the Batik Air A320’s cockpit but received no response.
After 28 minutes of radio silence, the primary pilot awoke to discover that his co-pilot had also fallen asleep. Additionally, it was found that the aircraft had momentarily deviated from its intended course.
Following this, in response to requests from Jakarta, the pilots safely landed the aircraft.
Before the flight, medical examinations determined that the men were safe to fly. In addition to having average pulse rate and blood pressure, alcohol tests yielded negative results.
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Alvin Lie, an aviation expert, said that although the pilots appeared to have completely recovered, the tests could not ascertain whether their rest was satisfactory.
In response to the incident, Batik Air has been “strongly reprimanded” by the authorities; the director of air transport in Indonesia, M Kristi Endah Murni, advised the airline to be more mindful of the crew’s rest periods.
Batik Air has declared that it “adheres to a sufficient rest policy” and is “fully dedicated to executing all safety recommendations.”
In 2019, an emergency landing was required for an identical airline due to a pilot who experienced syncope.
In the majority of nations, aviation regulations mandate the presence of a minimum of two pilots in the cockpit of commercial aircraft.
