The pilot asked to rest and handed over command to his co-pilot. But he too fell asleep and for almost half an hour the plane flew in the wrong direction without a pilot.
The air traffic controllers tried in vain to establish radio contact with the pilots during this time.
Indonesia's transport ministry is now investigating the airline and will review its daily rest rules. An initial report found that one of the pilots had not been getting enough sleep.
”"The co-pilot had one-month-old twins at home. His wife took care of them but he helped when he was home," the country's aviation safety authority writes.
The plane was en route between the island of Sulawesi and the capital Jakarta with 157 people on board. After the 28-minute navigation error, the plane was still able to land safely.
The two pilots, both in their 30s, have been taken out of service until further notice.
Source:TT-Aftonbladet.se
