The two Indonesian pilots at the controls of the plane, which was carrying 153 passengers, fell asleep almost simultaneously and were unresponsive for nearly 30 minutes during the flight, an investigation has found. This case led to a review of the country’s night flights, The Guardian reports.

According to a preliminary report by the National Transportation Safety Board (KNKT), the Batik Air plane was traveling from the southeastern island of Sulawesi to the Indonesian capital of Jakarta on January 25. The incident led to a series of navigational errors, but the Airbus A320’s 153 passengers and four flight attendants were unharmed during the two-hour, 35-minute flight.

The Ministry of Transport issued a “strong reprimand” to Batik Air over the incident, said Air Transport Director General Maria Christie Enda Murney, who called on airlines to pay more attention to flight crew rest periods.

“We will conduct an investigation and review of night flights in Indonesia related to fatigue risk management for Batik Air and all air operators,” Christie said.

In a statement on Saturday, Batik Air said it was “operating in accordance with the holiday policy” and “is committed to complying with all safety recommendations”.

The pilots involved in the January 25 incident have been temporarily suspended, the company added.

According to the KNKT report, one of the pilots did not rest properly the night before the flight. About 90 minutes after takeoff, the captain asked his second-in-command for permission to rest for a while, and the request was granted. The co-pilot then took control of the plane, but he too fell asleep involuntarily, the report said.

“The second eldest had two one-month-old twin children. His wife took care of the babies, and he helped while he was at home,” the report said.

A few minutes after the last transmission recorded by the co-pilot, the district control center in Jakarta attempted to contact the aircraft. He did not receive an answer.

28 minutes after the last recorded transmission, the pilot awoke to realize that his co-pilot was asleep and that the aircraft was on the wrong flight path. He immediately woke up his colleague, answered calls from Jakarta and adjusted the flight path, the report said.

After the incident, the plane landed safely.

The investigation did not identify the pilots, but said they were Indonesian, aged 32 and 28.

KNKT called on Batik Air to conduct regular cockpit inspections and ensure pilots and crew rest before flights.

(news.ro)