A shocking snooze at 35,000 feet: Batik Air crew falls asleep, veering off course with 153 passengers aboard
In a jaw-dropping incident that has left the aviation world reeling, an investigation has unearthed that a pair of Batik Air pilots dozed off for nearly half an hour while manning the controls of an Airbus A320. The flight, coded BTK6723, was en route from Halu Oleo Airport in Kendari to Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta International Airport on the 25th of January when the alarming event unfolded.
The National Transportation Safety Committee (KNKT) laid bare the details of this harrowing occurrence, which saw the aircraft deviate from its intended path as both pilots entered the land of dreams simultaneously for approximately 28 minutes. This startling revelation came after a thorough examination of the flight’s particulars, including its seamless journey from Jakarta to Kendari, before the nap that shook the nation took place on its return leg.
The drama kicked off when, despite the captain having taken a sanctioned rest earlier, the co-pilot accidentally succumbed to sleep at 1:43 UTC. Attempts to reach the aircraft by the Jakarta Area Control Center (ACC) met with silence, sparking a tense period of radio silence. It wasn’t until 2:11 UTC that the captain awoke, quickly realising the grave mistake that had occurred, with the aircraft notably off its planned route.
In an effort to rectify the situation, the awakened captain reported a resolved ‘radio communication problem’ to the control centre, and, against all odds, managed to land the plane safely in Jakarta, with no injuries reported among the 153 passengers on board or any damage to the plane.
Further scrutiny into the pilots’ activities prior to the flight revealed that both had been deemed ‘fit for duty’, with the captain having had a 35-hour rest and the co-pilot a 53-hour rest. Nonetheless, the co-pilot had experienced poor sleep quality due to personal responsibilities, highlighting the unpredictable nature of human fatigue.
Maria Kristi Endah Murni, the Director General of Civil Aviation at the Indonesian Ministry of Transportation, expressed strong disapproval of the incident, signalling a comprehensive review of night flight operations in Indonesia to address fatigue risk management across all airlines.
The KNKT has since issued safety recommendations to Batik Air, urging the development of more rigorous procedures to ensure pilot alertness. Batik Air, responding to the controversy, affirmed its dedication to adhering to all safety advisories and underscored its commitment to maintaining an adequate rest policy for its crew. In the meantime, the two pilots involved have been grounded pending further investigation.
As the airline industry grapples with the implications of this unprecedented lapse, the incident serves as a wake-up call (pun intended) to the critical importance of managing pilot fatigue to safeguard the lives of passengers and crew alike.
