Both pilots asleep for 28 minutes as passenger plane drifts off course

An Airbus A320 carrying 153 passengers experienced an extraordinary lapse in the cockpit when both pilots fell asleep simultaneously for about 28 minutes, causing the aircraft to drift off its intended route. The incident occurred on January 25, 2024, during a Batik Air flight from Kendari to Jakarta.

According to Indonesia's National Transportation Safety Committee (KNKT), the pilots were unresponsive to repeated attempts by Jakarta air traffic control to contact them during the 28-minute period. The aircraft eventually landed safely with no injuries or damage reported. However, the incident has led Indonesian authorities to review fatigue management and night-flight operations, while Batik Air received a strong reprimand and the two pilots were temporarily suspended.

The KNKT investigation revealed that the co-pilot, who took over monitoring duties while the captain rested, was also extremely tired. He had been experiencing disrupted sleep due to helping his wife care for their one-month-old twin babies. Despite having a substantial rest period before the flight, his sleep quality was affected by frequent waking.

When the captain awoke, he discovered his co-pilot was also asleep and the aircraft had deviated from its flight path. He woke the co-pilot, re-established communication with air traffic control, and corrected the course. The flight continued to Jakarta and landed without further incident, but the potential consequences of the prolonged loss of cockpit monitoring were serious.