Pilot Health Check System Questioned after Pilot Dies Onboard

TEMPO.CO, Bima – The recent passing of Capt. Ramdanto, a pilot of national flag carrier Garuda Indonesia, moments before landing the airline’s GA4819 aircraft at Sultan Muhammad Salahudin Airport in Bima, West Nusa Tenggara has sparked questions on pilots’ medical monitoring system.

“Pilots’ qualification should be monitored. If this sort of thing happens, I think we should question the system on pilots’ health check,” said Anwar Arman, a councilor of Bima municipality’s legislative council (DPRD) Commission I of the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), said on Monday, August 31, 2014.

He said regular monitoring of pilots’ physical and mental state was paramount as they had to be in prime condition to fly aircraft. “Pilots’ health should be monitored regularly,” he said.

Anwar said he would gather complete information from multiple parties on the issue, including from PT Garuda Indonesia. “I don’t’ know for sure yet what this is all about. I will seek information from related parties, including from Garuda. It’s seldom that we find a case like this,” he said.

Garuda Indonesia pilot Capt. Ramdano died of suspected respiratory failure shortly before the GA4819 airliner touched down at the airport. The co-pilot, however, managed to land the plane, which flew from Lombok International Airport and carried 70 passengers, safely. 

AKHYAR M. NUR