We’ve certainly heard about people micro-sleeping when they were driving but this is the first time we’ve heard of pilots taking naps mid-flight.
Recently, it was reported that 2 pilots on a plane from Southeast Sulawesi to Jakarta took a 28-minute nap simultaneously.
At first, the pilot had asked the co-pilot to take the helm as he needed a quick nap due to not getting adequate sleep the night prior, reported ASTRO AWANI.
The co-pilot then took over the plane and accidentally fell asleep as well as he is a father to a pair of newborn twins.
28 minutes later, the main pilot woke up and realised that they had strayed from the course, so he quickly called the Jakarta control centre and went back to the right route.
At the end of the 2 hours and 35 minutes flight, they managed to land safely at their destination.
As this has become a huge issue, the Indonesian Transport Ministry has issued a stern warning to Batik Air and said that a thorough investigation will take place, reports BERNAMA.
“A flight inspector will be dispatched to address the Safety Issue Resolution, pinpointing the root cause and recommending necessary actions to the airline operator and its regulator.”
Other than that, they also advised all airline companies to ensure that their crew has enough rest so that they are alert when doing their job.
That must have been a very scary experience for the passengers and the rest of the crew.
