Batik Air Pilots Dozed Off On Board; Indonesian Govt to Review Night Flight

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Directorate General of Air Transport at Indonesia Transportation Ministry confirmed it would investigate and review the incident on board the Batik Air ID-6723 flight where the pilot and the co-pilot dozed off for about 30 minutes during the flight from Kendari to Jakarta. The National Transportation Safety Committee (NTSC) revealed that the incident occurred on January 25, 2024.   

The pilot and co-pilot reportedly flew the same aircraft on the same flight from Jakarta to Kendari early in the day and returned to Jakarta immediately from Kendari in the morning. Director General of Air Transportation at the Transportation Ministry, Maria Khristi Endah Murni, said her institution would investigate the NTSC report, especially regarding the night flight.

"We will conduct an investigation and review the Night Flight Operation in Indonesia regarding the management of risk for fatigue in Batik Air and all flight operators," she said in a written statement quoted by Tempo on Saturday, March 9.

She urged all airlines to be mindful of the quantity and quality of their pilots and crew members' rest, as it will affect their alertness during flight.

Maria said the ministry appreciated NTSC's report on the incident. She said the ministry's Air Transportation Directorate would issue a strong reprimand to Batik Air and take the case seriously.

"We emphasize that sanctions will be imposed in accordance with the findings of the investigation team," he said.

The crews of Batik Air BTK-6723, said Maria Kristi, have now been handled according to Batik Air's internal SOP for further investigation. Later, the Air Transportation Directorate will send a flight inspector to determine the cause of the problem and recommend corrective actions to the airline.

Earlier, NTSC revealed an incident that the pilot and the co-pilot of Batik Air ID-6723 fell asleep at the same time while on duty on the Kendari-Jakarta route. As a result of the incident, the plane was on the wrong track, which was recorded in the skies of Cianjur-Sukabumi before landing at Soekarno Hatta Airport in Cengkareng.

Based on the NTSC investigation, the co-pilot was tired because he had not had quality rest before duty. The pilot then offered the copilot to sleep during the Jakarta-Kendari flight. The co-pilot slept throughout flight ID-6274.

When the plane flew from Kendari to Jakarta on flight ID-6273, it was the pilot's turn to sleep and the co-pilot took over the flight. The pilot fell asleep in the cockpit about 30 minutes after takeoff from Kendari. The co-pilot, who was acting as the pilot, also fell asleep shortly before landing in Jakarta. Jakarta Air Traffic Control then asked the flight crew how long the A320 would take to complete its flight. Both were asleep and did not respond to the air traffic controllers.

After 28 minutes, the pilot awoke to find the co-pilot asleep and realized the plane was off course. Based on the flight path released by NTSC, the plane was already in the skies around Cianjur-Sukabumi. The pilot then woke the co-pilot and responded to a call from the Jakarta Area Control Center. The pilot said that he and his colleague had radio communication problems, so they did not respond to calls from Jakarta.

The Batik Air flight continued and landed safely in Jakarta. There were no casualties and no damage to the aircraft. The NTSC urged Batik Air to develop detailed flight procedures and to conduct cockpit checks to ensure that services are provided correctly.

NOVALI PANJI NUGROHO

Editor's Choice: Lion Air to Launch New Jakarta-Sorong Route on February 7

Click here to get the latest news updates from Tempo on Google News