What Forced Batik Air Pilots to Fly to Unknown Direction with 156 Passengers Onboard?

Tuesday, March 12, 2024

Indonesia probes Batik Air flight mishap where pilots dozed off, veering off route with 157 aboard, landing safely in Jakarta. Inquiry pending.

In a recent development reported by the National Transportation Safety Committee (KNKT) of Indonesia, an aviation mishap occurred when the crew of a domestic flight inadvertently overslept, veering off their planned route. This incident, set to be thoroughly investigated by the Indonesia Transport Ministry, unfolded on the 25th of January during a routine journey from Kendari, Southeast Sulawesi, to the nation’s capital, Jakarta, operated by Batik Air under flight number BTK6723.

The initial findings by the KNKT disclosed that the flight, which included 153 passengers and four attendants, encountered an unusual situation when both the main pilot and their assistant entered a state of sleep while at the controls. Remarkably, this lapse did not result in any harm to those onboard or the aircraft itself. The flight, lasting two hours and 35 minutes, concluded safely in Jakarta.

The sequence of events leading to this anomaly began in Jakarta, with the assistant pilot expressing concerns about insufficient rest before their return journey to Kendari. Despite this, the flight proceeded, and at an elevation of 36,000 feet, the primary pilot suggested the assistant pilot take a short nap. Following their meal of instant noodles, the plane embarked on its return leg to Jakarta, during which the primary pilot also decided to rest, leaving the assistant pilot in charge.

However, both pilots succumbed to sleep during the flight, with the assistant pilot dozing off last. This led to a temporary loss of communication with the Jakarta area control center (ACC), which lasted for 28 minutes until the pilots reawakened and corrected their course, citing a “radio communication problem” as the reason for the silence.

The report detailed the backgrounds of the involved pilots, a 32-year-old and a 28-year-old, both Indonesian, with the younger being a father to one-month-old twins, which contributed to his lack of rest. Following this incident, the Indonesia Transport Ministry, as reported by Antara News Agency and echoed by the civil aviation director-general M Kristi Endah Murni, announced an impending investigation and the temporary suspension of the BTK6723 flight crew as per standard protocols pending the inquiry’s outcome.

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