China News Service, Jakarta, March 9 (Reporter Li Zhiquan) Two pilots of Indonesia's Batik Air fell asleep at the same time during the flight. After the incident was revealed, it triggered heated public opinion and concerns about aviation safety.
On the 9th, the Indonesian Air Transport Authority "strongly condemned" this incident.
Indonesia's Transport Ministry said it would launch an investigation into Badi Air.
Indonesia’s National Transportation Safety Board recently released a report showing that on January 25 this year, on a Badi Air flight from Southeast Sulawesi province to the capital Jakarta, the captain and co-pilot fell asleep at the same time for about 28 minutes. , causing the plane to deviate from its scheduled route.
At that time, the Airbus A320 aircraft was carrying 153 passengers and 4 flight attendants.
The report showed that during the flight, the co-pilot requested a rest from the captain because he had not had enough rest the day before.
After the main driver agreed, the co-pilot slept in the cockpit for about 30 minutes.
On the return flight, the main pilot fell asleep, and the co-pilot accidentally fell asleep while performing his duties as a pilot. It was not until the main pilot woke up and discovered the route problem that emergency corrections were made, and the plane finally landed in Jakarta.
Although no one was injured and the plane was not damaged, Indonesia's National Transportation Safety Board classified the incident as a "serious" one.
Currently, Indonesia's National Transportation Safety Committee has issued a safety notice to all pilots and flight attendants, requiring them to be more vigilant, including assessing their own health status and ensuring that they remain awake and alert during flights.
Badi Airlines said in its response that it grounded and suspended the 32-year-old captain and 28-year-old co-pilot the day after the incident.
As a next step, all flight operations will be regularly evaluated.
On social platforms, many netizens believed that the pilot's sleeping behavior was very dangerous and that he was making fun of the lives of passengers.
Some people believe that the pilot involved was treated too lightly, while others believe that the airline should also be punished.
However, Indonesian aviation observer Gerry Sugartman said this is a systemic risk that must be addressed.
In an interview with local media, he said that the problem of pilot fatigue needs to be analyzed and improved to find systematic solutions, not just sanctions.
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