Indonesian Flight Veers Off Course as Both Pilots Fall Asleep, Prompting Investigation

The two pilots responsible for the Batik Air Indonesian airline flight fell asleep for 28 minutes during the flight - reports India Today, citing a report from the Indonesian National Transportation Safety Committee. The incident occurred on January 25th on the route from Kendari to Jakarta. Officials investigating the matter classified it as a serious aviation incident. There were 153 passengers and four crew members on board. None of the people were hurt or injured.

The Indonesian Ministry of Transportation has announced an investigation into the matter - reports CNN, citing the Antara news agency. The pilots, who fell asleep during the flight, caused navigation errors, resulting in the "aircraft not being on the correct flight path".

According to the report, one of the pilots told the other that he had not had "adequate rest". After taking off from Kendari and reaching cruising altitude, the man asked for permission to rest, and the controls were taken over by the other pilot. About 90 minutes after the flight began, the second pilot also fell asleep. The report noted that he fell asleep unintentionally.

Twelve minutes after the last recorded communication, the Jakarta control center tried to contact the aircraft, but the pilots did not respond. About 28 minutes after the last contact, one of the pilots woke up. The man realized that the aircraft was not on the correct flight path. He woke the other pilot and responded to the tower's call. The flight continued, and the aircraft safely landed in the capital.

NBC News reports that the report did not mention any disciplinary punishment for Batik Air employees. Both men on January 25th were cleared for flight after blood pressure and pulse measurements were taken. The results were considered normal. Tests also did not show the presence of alcohol in their systems. NBC mentioned that one of the pilots admitted to investigators he is a father of one-month-old twins and was moving in the days leading up to the flight.

Source: India Times, CNN, NBC News