Batik Air Pilots Fell Asleep Indonesian Airlines
Welcome to bra-news.com. In a recent event that shocked the aviation industry, two Batik Air Pilots Fell Asleep Indonesian Airlines while controlling flight BTK6723 from Kendari to Jakarta. This incident not only raised concerns about flight safety but also shed light on the problem of fatigue management in the industry. Please join us in exploring the developments of this event and the reaction of the authorities through the following detailed article.
I. Details Batik Air Pilots Fell Asleep Indonesian Airlines
On January 25th, 2023, a Batik Air flight BTK6723 from Kendari to Jakarta experienced a serious safety lapse when both the pilot and co-pilot inadvertently fell asleep simultaneously during the cruise portion of the flight. The incident occurred approximately 90 minutes into the 2 hour and 35 minute journey, after the pilots had taken turns briefly resting.
According to the preliminary report by Indonesia’s National Transportation Safety Committee (KNKT), the co-pilot had informed the pilot earlier that day that he had not had proper rest, as he had newborn twins at home disrupting his sleep schedule. After taking off from Kendari in Southeast Sulawesi province, the aircraft reached its cruising altitude and the pilot asked the co-pilot to take over the controls so he could also rest.
Alarmingly, around 90 minutes into the flight, the co-pilot then unintentionally fell asleep as well, leaving the Boeing 737 aircraft operating on autopilot with no active pilot monitoring the flight controls or communicating with air traffic control. For a critical period of approximately 28 minutes, the plane veered off its assigned flight path towards Jakarta as both crew members were unconscious in the cockpit.
He quickly roused the co-pilot, and they were able to regain communication and bring the plane back on course to Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, where it landed safely with its 153 passengers and 4 cabin crew unharmed.
The potentially catastrophic incident, which could have ended in tragedy, has prompted investigations by Indonesian aviation authorities into the airline’s fatigue risk management policies and procedures.
II. Response of the Jakarta Air Traffic Control Center Operations Agency
The operational response to the incident involving the Batik Air flight BTK6723, where both pilots fell asleep, was initiated when the Jakarta area control center (ACC) failed to establish contact with the aircraft. The standard protocol for air traffic controllers when they cannot communicate with a flight is to attempt to reach the aircraft through various means, including using different radio frequencies and contacting other aircraft in the vicinity to relay messages.
Upon realizing that the flight had deviated from its intended flight path and was unresponsive to radio calls, the Jakarta ACC likely escalated the situation according to their emergency procedures. These procedures are designed to address situations where an aircraft is out of communication, which can be indicative of a range of issues from technical failures to security threats.
The specific immediate actions taken by the ACC in response to the loss of communication with Batik Air flight BTK6723.
III. Batik Air’s reaction and decision to sanction 2 pilots
In response to the incident where both pilots on Batik Air flight BTK6723 fell asleep, leading to a temporary loss of communication and deviation from the flight path, Batik Air and Indonesian aviation authorities took several investigative and corrective actions.
Batik Air’s Response:
- Internal Investigation: Batik Air would have initiated an internal investigation to understand the circumstances that led to the incident, including reviewing the pilots’ work schedules, rest periods, and any contributing factors that may have led to the lapse in alertness.
- Crew Grounding: As a precautionary measure, Batik Air grounded the flight crew involved in the incident. This is a standard procedure to ensure that the crew members do not operate flights while under investigation and to maintain safety.
- Cooperation with Authorities: Batik Air would have cooperated with the aviation authorities by providing necessary information, flight data, and access to crew members for interviews and further investigation.
Actions by Indonesian Aviation Authorities:
- Investigation by KNKT: The National Transportation Safety Committee (KNKT) of Indonesia would have launched a formal investigation into the incident. This would involve collecting and analyzing flight data, cockpit voice recordings, and any other relevant information.
- Safety Review: The Indonesian transport ministry, through its civil aviation director-general, announced plans to conduct a review of night flight operations and fatigue risk management for Batik Air and other flight operators in the country.
- Flight Inspector Deployment: The transport ministry stated that it would dispatch a flight inspector authorized on Resolution of Safety Issue (RSI) to investigate the cause of the incident and recommend mitigation measures to flight operators and supervisors.