There seems to be growing tension about the safety of passengers on airplanes after two pilots fell asleep for 28 minutes during a Batik Air flight.
The shocking sleep-off by not one but two of the pilots on board happened on January 25 this year.
The flight on Batik Air happened to be a return flight from Haluoleo International Airport, in Indonesia’s Southeast Sulawesi region, to Soekarno-Hatta Airport, in the capital, Jakarta.
The two co-pilots, aged 28 and 32, fell asleep while the airplane travelled unattended for 28 minutes, according to the preliminary report from Indonesia’s National Transportation Safety Committee (KNKT).
Upon waking up, they noticed the plane had lost direction and was not on the original “correct flight path.”.
Reports indicate that the younger of the two pilots had had less sleep in the last few weeks before the flight because his wife had given birth to tweens, which means he had to be awake for most of the night. He had also just relocated, which added to the stress and tiredness that led to him sleeping on duty.
According to the report by News-Sky “The initial leg of the flight out from the Indonesian capital went off without incident, and the younger pilot slept for about 30 minutes before waking up for the descent.”
“After landing, the report said that the men ate instant noodles in the cockpit before taking off again.”
“Then, with 153 passengers and four flight attendants on board, the pilots flew to 36,000 feet, at which point the 32-year-old told his co-pilot to take control of the plane, saying he needed to rest.”
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‘The younger co-pilot agreed, but during the flight, he inadvertently fell asleep as well, with both seemingly asleep for approximately 241 miles, according to the report.”
All efforts by officers at Jakarta Air Traffic Control to contact the cockpit of the Batik Air A320 flight proved futile, which raised tensions.
There was no response from the pilots for nearly 28 minutes until the older pilot woke up. He quickly noticed they were off the correct path and worked with his co-pilot to correct the flight path.
They succeeded in guiding the plane back on track and landed safely at Jakarta Airport.
Batik Air has been approached for comment; however, they have yet to make any official statements on the worrying news.