Indonesian flight veered off course after both pilots allegedly fell asleep in the cockpit
A Batik Air Indonesia pilot and his second-in-command are accused of allowing the flight they were operating to veer off course as they both took a snooze in the cockpit midflight, Indonesian officials said in a report.
A Batik Air Indonesia pilot and his second-in-command are accused of allowing the flight they were operating to veer off course as they both took a snooze in the cockpit midflight, Indonesian officials said in a report.
The Jan. 25 flight, BTK6723, was carrying 153 passengers from Halu Oleo Airport in Kendari to Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Jakarta, said the report from Indonesia’s National Transportation Safety Committee.
Both pilots, whose names were not included, had just completed a trip in the opposite direction, from Jakarta to Kendari, before they made the return, which is when they both fell asleep, the report said.
A Batik Air Airbus A320 during takeoff at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Jakarta, Indonesia, on April 14, 2023.Afriadi Hikmal / NurPhoto via Getty ImagesOnce the return flight to Jakarta took off and the plane reached a cruising altitude of 36,000 feet, the 32-year-old pilot asked for permission to take a rest, the report said. After the pilot's nap, the pilot asked the 28-year-old second-in-command whether he wanted to rest, but the co-pilot said he did not want to.
After a quick chat, the pilot went back to sleep, leaving the second-in-command in control of the aircraft, according to the report.
Rating: 5