A plane was flying with 159 onboard. Then both pilots fell asleep. [View all]

[brooklynite]

Source: Washington Post

Two pilots of an aircraft carrying 157 other people fell asleep midflight, causing the plane to veer off its designated path, according to a preliminary report by Indonesia’s National Transportation Safety Committee.

The pilots were operating a Batik Air flight when they both fell asleep at the same time for around 28 minutes, the report said. The plane, which was carrying 153 passengers and four crew members, had left the island of South East Sulawesi and was making its way to Jakarta on Jan. 25, a two-hour and 35-minute flight.

The report did not identify the pilots, only describing the pilot in command as a 32-year-old Indonesian and the second in command as a 28-year-old Indonesian. Both had been deemed fit to fly, having passed health checks and returned negative tests for alcohol, the report said.

When the flight reached a cruising altitude of 36,000 feet, about 30 minutes after departure, the pilot in command asked the deputy for permission to rest, which was granted. The pilot in command fell asleep and woke just under an hour later.

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/travel/2024/03/10/batik-air-pilots-fall-asleep-indonesia/