A potential disaster was narrowly avoided when both pilots fell asleep for almost 30 minutes while passengers were on the plane.
A Batik Airplane in Indonesia reportedly drifted off its planned flight path after the pilot and co-pilot both fell asleep in the cockpit for 28 minutes.
The pair fell asleep even though they were responsible for the 153 passengers on board.
Although the plane landed safely, officials are investigating the incident, which occurred on January 25 as the plane traveled from South East Sulawesi to Jakarta.
Straying from the intended flight route poses a risk of colliding with another plane and having fatal consequences.
One of the pilots hadn't rested enough the night before the flight, MailOnline reported.
About half an hour into the flight, the captain asked his second-in-command for permission to rest, which was granted.
It is typical for pilots and co-pilots to take turns resting during the flight, and some planes have beds in the cockpit.
However, the co-pilot also nodded off.
When the area control centre in Jakarta attempted to contact the aircraft, they received no response.
After 28 minutes from the last recorded transmission to flight control, the pilot woke up.
He discovered that the co-pilot was also asleep and that the Airbus A320 aircraft was not following its planned flight path.
He woke up his colleague, responded to calls from Jakarta, and corrected the flight path, according to a report on the incident.
The Indonesian transport ministry strongly reprimanded Batik Air, and director-general M.Kristi Endah Murni urged airlines to pay more attention to their air crew’s rest time following the near-fatal incident.
Murni stated: ‘We will investigate and review night flight operations in Indonesia relating to Fatigue Risk Management for Batik Air and all flight operators’.
The airline announced in a statement on Saturday that it ‘operates with a robust rest policy’ and is ‘committed to implementing all safety recommendations’.
Both pilots have been temporarily suspended, Batik Air reported.
The investigators stated that the pilots were both Indonesians, aged 32 and 28, but did not disclose their identities.
For more stories like this, check our news page.
