The Chronology of Indonesia's Batik Air Pilots Mid-flight Snooze
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11 March 2024 14:49 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Indonesian National Transportation Safety Committee (KNKT) released a report stating that both the captain and his deputy of Batik Air flight fell asleep for 28 minutes, resulting in a series of navigational errors. The flight itself was supposed to have a block time of 2 hours 35 minutes to reach its destination.
The pilots flew the aircraft, Batik Air flight BTK6724 (ID-6724), from Cengkareng to Kendari in the early hours of the morning. During flight preparation, the co-pilot informed the pilot that had not been getting enough sleep. The pilot in command then offered his deputy to take a short nap during the flight to Kendari. The co-pilot woke up just before the plane landed in Kendari.
The plane landed in Kendari and continued to board passengers bound for Jakarta as ID-6723 or flight BTK-6723. This time, the co-pilot acted as the flight pilot (PF) while the pilot acted as the monitor pilot (PM). There were 153 passengers on board.
The aircraft continued to climb to a cruising altitude of 36,000 feet. The pilot then asked for permission to rest and turn the controls over to the co-pilot. But shortly after, the co-pilot also fell asleep.
Approximately 28 minutes later, the pilot awoke to find that the co-pilot had fallen asleep and the aircraft was not on the correct flight path. Based on the information released by KNKT, the Batik Air plane veered off course into the skies around Cianjur or Sukabumi.
The pilot then responded to contacts from other pilots and air traffic controllers in Jakarta. He said they were having radio communication problems. The pilot managed to get the plane back on track and landed safely in Jakarta.
NOVALI PANJI NUGROHO | ANTARA
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