2 pilots fall asleep during flight veering plane off course, Indonesian officials say
Pilots fall asleep simultaneously during Indonesian flight, but land safely.
- Bilawal Riaz
- 1 min read
An Indonesian plane carrying over 150 people experienced a situation where both pilots fell asleep simultaneously during a flight, as reported by Indonesia’s National Transportation Safety Committee. The incident occurred on a Batik Air flight traveling from Kendari to Jakarta, lasting two hours and 35 minutes. Despite the pilots’ unexpected nap lasting 28 minutes, the flight landed safely with no injuries to any of the passengers or crew. The report confirmed that both pilots, who were Indonesian, were fit to fly and had no alcohol in their systems. The pilot in command, aged 32, and the second in command, aged 28, were the individuals involved. The situation unfolded as the pilot in command first asked his colleague for a rest, followed by a series of inadvertent naps by both pilots, resulting in a deviation from the flight path. After waking up and correcting their course, they reported experiencing radio communication issues. The report highlighted that the second in command had cited a lack of proper rest due to caring for one-month-old twins and moving into a new home the day before the flight.