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Jakarta: In a bizarre and most significantly surprising incident, an Indonesian flight averted a major catastrophic accident after both of its pilots fell asleep for 28 minutes mid-air. According to a report released by the National Transportation Safety Committee (KNKT), a government agency, flight Batik Air- BTK6723- took off from Kendari in Southeast Sulawesi province to the capital Jakarta on January 25, with 153 passengers and four flight attendants on board.
Although the report did not mention the names of the pilots, it recognises the pilot-in-command as a 32-year-old Indonesian male and the second-in-command as a 28-year-old Indonesian male.
Pilot has twins and had not taken proper rest before the flight
The report mentioned that the second-in-command pilot had notified his co-pilot earlier in the day that he had not had “proper rest” as he had one-month-old twins and “had to wake up several times to help his wife take care of the babies”.
Citing the report, CNN quoted the second-in-command was able to sleep “for about 30 minutes” before takeoff. However, after the flight took off from Kendari and reached cruising altitude, the pilot-in-command asked for permission to also rest and the second-in-command took over the aircraft. Around 90 minutes into the flight, the second-in-command then “inadvertently fell asleep,” according to the report.
Pilot-in-command woke up and realised the plane was not in the correct flight pat
“Twelve minutes after the last recorded transmission by the co-pilot, the Jakarta area control centre (ACC) tried to contact the plane, but there was no response from the captains, it said. Around 28 minutes after the last recorded transmission, the pilot-in-command woke up and realised the plane was not in the correct flight path. At that point, he woke up the second-in-command and responded to the ACC,” it said.
However, when the ACC asked the pilots about the absence the pilot-in-command said that the plane had a “radio communication problem”. Luckily, the plane lasted two hours and 35 minutes and successfully landed in Jakarta, with all passengers and crew members reported safe.
Meanwhile, the local news agency Antara reported that Indonesia’s transport ministry will launch an investigation after two Batik Air pilots fell asleep.
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