Indonesian pilots slept off for 30 minutes during flight, says probe

Two Batik Air pilots from Indonesia shockingly dozed out during a thirty-minute flight with passengers inside. For about twenty-eight minutes, the pilot and co-pilot napped simultaneously. According to the National Transportation Safety Committee's (KNKT) preliminary investigation, the Batik Air flight on January 25 was its route from South East Sulawesi to Jakarta, the Indonesian capital.

The 153 passengers on board the Airbus A320 and the four flight attendants did not sustain any injuries during the two hours and thirty-five-minute flight, despite multiple navigational errors caused by the incident.

According to a report in the Guardian, M. Kristi Endah Murni, the director general of civil aviation for the Transport Ministry, said that the ministry "strongly reprimands" Batik Air for the event and asked carriers to be more considerate of their aircrew's rest time. The ministry is also starting a probe.

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The report states that earlier in the day, the co-pilot was informed by the second-in-command pilot that he had not received "proper rest". About ninety minutes after departure, the captain asked his second-in-command if he might take a quick break. The request was granted. According to the investigation, the co-pilot inadvertently fell asleep too once he took over piloting the plane. "The second-in-command had twins that were one month old. While at home, he helped out while his wife took care of the babies, according to the report.

Twelve minutes after the co-pilot's last known message, the Jakarta Area Control Centre (ACC) tried to get in touch with the aircraft, but the pilots did not reply, the ACC said. The pilot-in-command realized the aircraft was not on the correct flying route when he woke asleep, some 28 minutes after the previous signal was logged. The report states that he then answered the ACC and roused the second-in-command. The pilot-in-command notified the air traffic controller (ACC) of a "radio communication problem" that occurred during the flight, but it was resolved.

The report identified the pilot-in-command as a 32-year-old male Indonesian, and the second-in-command as a 28-year-old male Indonesian, but did not disclose the names of the pilots.

BTK6723 made a safe landing, and no injuries were recorded. The flight crews have also been grounded till additional investigation is completed in accordance with standard operating practice.

In a statement, Batik Air stated that it "committed to implement all safety recommendations" and that it "operates with adequate rest policy". The pilots have been suspended, it continued.