Who's to blame when both pilots fall asleep?

How would you feel relaxing mid flight if you knew both your pilots were asleep at the helm? Well, this is exactly what happened on a 2.5 hour Batik Air flight last week.

According to a report from the transport ministry, when the flight ascended to 36,000 feet roughly thirty minutes post-takeoff, the 32-year-old pilot instructed his co-pilot, who was 28 years old, to assume command of the aircraft, citing his need for rest.

Agreeing to the pilot's request, the co-pilot, who had recently become a father to one-month-old twins and was aiding in childcare duties due to his wife's recent delivery, nodded off while at the controls. The report highlighted his struggles with sleep, exacerbated by his recent relocation the day before the flight.

Jakarta air traffic control made numerous attempts to establish communication with the cockpit of the Batik Air A320 following their previous transmission, but received no reply. After 28 minutes of silence on the radio, the senior pilot awoke to discover that his co-pilot had also dozed off. Furthermore, he noticed a brief deviation from the intended course of the aircraft.

Subsequently, the pilot responded to Jakarta's calls, attributing the prior lack of communication to a "radio communication problem" that had since been resolved. The aircraft was safely landed.

Pre-flight medical examinations had determined both pilots were fit to fly, with normal blood pressure, heart rate, and negative alcohol tests. Investigations however reveal the co-pilot had informed the senior pilot of his inadequate rest, as detailed in the report.

“We will carry out an investigation and review of the night flight operation in Indonesia related with fatigue risk management for Batik Air and all flight operators,” she said in a statement.

Batik Air has said it “operates with adequate rest policy” and that it was “committed to implement all safety recommendations”.

So who is to blame here?

The real culprit here is 'work life balance'. Sleep deprivation is quite literally, a killer. No matter what rest periods the airline enforce, if home or personal life isn't conducive to rest then the 'mandated' rest period really becomes null and void.

The incident with Batik Air is part of a far wider conversation on sleep deprivation especially for parents with young children or those caring for sick friends and relatives. As a mother of two babies I have had many a near miss in the car due to absolute exhaustion. Whilst what has happened on this aircraft is unacceptable, I get it and it's a global problem.

We have come a long way with acceptance of mental health in the workplace and resultant 'mental health days'. Could we do do the same with sleep deprivation especially for those who are in a 'carers' role? Currently many countries around the world have parental and carers leave of a few weeks for secondary carers. However, anyone who's been in this position knows that the sleep deprivation goes on for years not mere weeks.

In 2013 a study revealed Of the 56% [pilots] who admitted sleeping, 29% told Balpa that they had woken up to find the other pilot asleep as well. The survey came after it emerged that two pilots on an Airbus passenger plane were asleep at the same time, with the aircraft being flown on autopilot.

The incident on Batik Air is not an isolated incident but it is a dangerous one and attention needs to be brought to this topic before a real disaster happens.