Indonesia’s transport ministry will launch an investigation after two Batik Air pilots fell asleep during a recent flight, according to state news agency Antara, citing the ministry’s civil aviation director-general M Kristi Endah Murni.
According to a preliminary report released Saturday by the National Transportation Safety Committee (KNKT), both the pilot and co-pilot fell asleep simultaneously for 28 minutes during a flight from Kendari in Southeast Sulawesi province to the capital Jakarta on January 25, causing navigational errors as “the aircraft was not in the correct flight path.”
I would bet cash money these are symptoms of systemic problems at the airline.
Despite the phrasing in the top of the article (copied to the post), it sounds like the pilot had permission (from someone?) to rest and was intentionally sleeping, and it was only the co-pilot who accidentally fell asleep.
That could also point towards overworked pilots.
Exactly. Systemic issues. That’s my expert (fan of Air Disasters) opinion.
Can’t say for this airline but I know it’s a issue in the united states of schedules that are just to make it work because technically the pilots are “well rested” and as long as they are within max hours it’s allowed. They often put the burden on the pilot to make the call and unless you are a senior pilot you are gonna get shit on for calling in unsafe for lack of sleep