As flagged by The Aviation Herald, Indonesian authorities have just published a report about an incident that happened several weeks back, whereby both pilots of a jet fell asleep, leaving no one at the controls for nearly 30 minutes.
In this post:
How both pilots of an A320 fell asleep at the same time
This incident happened on January 25, 2024, and involves Batik Air flight ID6723, scheduled to fly from Kendari (KDI) to Jakarta (CGK). The domestic 1,095-mile flight was operated by a six-year-old Airbus A320 with the registration code PK-LUV. The flight had a total of 159 people onboard, including 153 passengers and six crew.
So, what makes this flight notable? Well, there seemed to be a period of up to 28 minutes where both the 32-year-old captain and 28-year-old first officer fell asleep. Here’s how this unfolded, per the report:
- While at a cruising altitude of 36,000 feet, both pilots took off their headsets, and turned up the audio in the cockpit, to hear air traffic control calls
- A lot of airlines allow one pilot to doze off while the other pilot is at the controls (we’re talking about in the cockpit, and not in a situation where there’s a relief pilot); in this case, the captain took a nap, with permission from the first officer
- When the captain woke up, he offered that the first officer could take a nap, but he declined, so the captain kept resting
- During this time, the first officer communicated with both air traffic controllers and the flight attendants; however, about 20 minutes later, the first officer inadvertently fell asleep as well
- 28 minutes after the last communication, the captain woke up and saw the first officer sleeping, so he woke him up
- There had been several calls for the Batik Air flight, so the crew told air traffic controllers that they were having issues with their communications system, and the plane landed in Jakarta without further incident
So, why were the pilots so tired, to the point that neither could stay awake? While that should never be the case, there are some factors at play here.
The captain was on standby on the day prior to this trip, while the first officer had a couple of days off. Furthermore, the first officer had one-month-old twin babies at home, which limited his rest.
You would assume that pilots would be well rested for a fairly short flight departing in the morning, but they actually had a long night. The pilots were flying from Jakarta to Kendari and back the same day, with the outbound being a redeye, and the return being a morning flight. Specifically, they were flying from around 3AM until around 10AM. Both reported having a nap the evening before while at home, but I can understand how they were still fatigued.
This probably happens more often than we know
Some long haul flights have relief pilots, so that each pilot can get a designated rest period. However, even on shorter flights, exhaustion sometimes kicks in. A lot of airlines around the globe allow the concept of controlled rest in the cockpit, with the idea being that one pilot can briefly rest with permission from the other pilot.
I’m sure the thought of that makes a lot passengers uncomfortable, but it’s also not unreasonable. It’s possible to have a flight with just two pilots that’s in darkness the entire way, and where pilots are working on limited sleep. Sometimes a 20-minute nap can do wonders, so everyone is better off if one pilot is alert, while the other pilot recharges their batteries.
But incidents like this are of course exactly what can happen with this concept. If one pilot is exhausted, odds are decent that the other one is as well. This is far from the first time that we’ve heard of a story like this. I imagine that for every incident like this that’s reported, there are multiple incidents that aren’t reported.
After all, this is only discovered when there’s a long lapse in communication, and on many long haul flights, there aren’t radio communications for extended periods of time. Pilots certainly aren’t going to self-report that they fell asleep, and face punishment. As you can see in this incident, even when the pilots were caught, they lied about it and claimed that they were having radio issues.
Indonesia has had its fair share of aviation safety issues over the years. That largely comes down to the pace at which demand for low cost air travel has grown in recent years, meaning you don’t have quite as much experience in the cockpit as in some other countries.
I think Batik Air maybe has some opportunities with optimizing crew scheduling as well, because this is a brutal turn for pilots. It seems like you’re just asking for incidents like this when you schedule crews on a daytime flight after working an overnight flight.
Bottom line
A Batik Air Airbus A320 had an incident whereby both pilots fell asleep at the same time on a domestic flight in Indonesia. While one pilot had permission to sleep, the other pilot then also accidentally fell asleep, leaving a period of up to 28 minutes where both pilots may have been asleep. When the pilots realized their mistake, they lied and claimed they were having radio issues.
What do you make of this Batik Air incident?
I can't believe there isn't a simple alarm feature in the cockpit that requires you to press something to turn it off? Seems like a simple way to prevent such incidents
Unsure why this behavior couldn't be treated like other cockpit resource management issues with added training, refreshers, behavior management strategies, accountability (cameras in the cockpit, a game changer for law enforcement), and graduated consequences. Something like this and distracted flying is a reality of their work conditions that likely happens on a not-infrequent basis (non-unlike distracted driving although with considerably higher stakes). With infants at home - who sleeps through the night? Give them support...
Unsure why this behavior couldn't be treated like other cockpit resource management issues with added training, refreshers, behavior management strategies, accountability (cameras in the cockpit, a game changer for law enforcement), and graduated consequences. Something like this and distracted flying is a reality of their work conditions that likely happens on a not-infrequent basis (non-unlike distracted driving although with considerably higher stakes). With infants at home - who sleeps through the night? Give them support and other measures.
I disagree with your comment where you refer to pilots should be in jail. Add alarms that can't be disabled to wake them if there is no activity for five minutes or require attendants to spend time in the flight deck when they're done with passengers.
My understanding is they were fired and their FAA credentials revoked. I find that excessive as well.
They succumbed to a biological rhythm. Although questionable, it's not a s crime.
And the lying?
I flew Military for 5 years and Commercial for 31 friggin' years and NEVER fell asleep while flying - this same thing happened in the US and the pilots "got off" scott free - both should be sitting in jail !!!!!
I love visiting Indonesia (I have flown Garuda several times), but the aviation safety there sadly keeps me from visiting some of my dream destinations (Sumba, Borobudur).
I thought the commercial crew was supposed to check on the pilots every 20mn or so, to prevent that kind of issue.
Anyway I m more shocked by the pilots lying to air control, than them falling asleep.
Ben, you come off being compassionate to the pilots' situation. Thinking you are relating as a father, not as a passenger.
I wouldn’t fly an Indonesian carrier if my life depended upon it. They simply never learn.
Given the incredible number of flights operating in Indonesia, a country comparable to the US in terms of extent (and population) flying there is surprisingly safe.
The last big incident I recall was the crash of Lion Air 610, a 737 MAX, which was on Boing, not the airline.
I m happily flying Back Air in 3 days, no problem.
Many years ago I was working at the Phoenix TRACON. We got a call from Albuquerque Center asking us if we were talking to AA123 who was passing over our airspace. We said no and the Center Controller replied “Nobody has talked to him for the last five hundred miles”.
I think this just goes to show how much the planes fly themselves - literally no human intervened in this flight for 30 minutes.
Indonesia really punches above its weight when it comes to aviation accidents and safety mishaps!
I want forget the name of this airline
Batik Air, never a particularly confidence inspiring carrier, would really make me question my life choices if I seated in one of their flights above the Java Sea.
"Furthermore, the first officer had one-month-old twin babies at home"
poor guy lol
Especially when his wife won't tell him who the father really is.
that's nice, but why should this be anyone else's problem?
How were they found out?
Wondering that, too.
I expect they follow-up on com problems and if there is no technical issue they question the pilots.
Matthew should take the pilots to his favorite coffee place in Indonesia.
Pilots should never be working when not fully rested, the chances of something going wrong increase multi fold when someone is fatigued. And a nap is not enough
Hopefully they woke up well-rested, and ready to pilot their next flight.
One question & one observation.
Question: Have you ever had the chance to sit in the flight deck of a commercial airliner during a flight? (I ask because I have, and up there, it can be so quiet and so relaxing that your brain cannot stay awake sometimes - Mind you, at that point I get my butt up and get a soda or something).
Observation: The 787 has an alarm feature that...
One question & one observation.
Question: Have you ever had the chance to sit in the flight deck of a commercial airliner during a flight? (I ask because I have, and up there, it can be so quiet and so relaxing that your brain cannot stay awake sometimes - Mind you, at that point I get my butt up and get a soda or something).
Observation: The 787 has an alarm feature that basically goes from an on screen notification to a chime to an alarm over the period of about twenty minutes to prevent pilots from falling asleep. I am surprised that Airbus doesn't have an automatic feature like that.
Anyone else thinking they were up to something other than sleeping? Maybe a FA sipped in.
Really? Are you serious ? For real? Should have known a comment like yours was long overdue... Now the only thing missing is a MTG comment from the gallery regarding the effects of a MAGA infection.