More Merpati crash victims found<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Two more bodies of victims of a Merpati
\nNusantara Airlines plane crash were found in the Molo Strait,
\nEast Nusa Tanggara, yesterday.<\/p>\n
This brought the number of deaths since the Twin Otter went
\ndown on Tuesday to seven as of yesterday evening. A total of five
\nbodies were found on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
Search and rescue workers said that the two badly mutilated
\nbodies were yet to be identified. They believed that one was that
\nof 10-month old Cencen.<\/p>\n
Parts of the 16-seat turboprop plane have also been found
\nscattered along the coast of the western tip of the Flores
\nisland. The body of the aircraft and the rest of the 14 people
\naboard have yet to be located.<\/p>\n
The aircraft that went missing half an hour after it took off
\nfrom Bima, West Nusa Tanggara, for Ruteng, East Nusa Tenggara, on
\nTuesday morning is believed to have crashed into the strait.<\/p>\n
The airlines's president, Ridwan Fatarudin, said here
\nyesterday that either bad weather or an explosion had caused the
\nlethal accident, Merpati's first this year.<\/p>\n
According to Ridwan, an explosion could happen due to
\nmechanical or engine failure.<\/p>\n
He said the wreckage of the plane built in 1973 may have
\nplunged into the sea.<\/p>\n
\"The pilot could have landed on the beach, or in nearby Labuan
\nBajo, Flores, where the aircraft was last sighted, if there was
\nanything wrong with the airplane. Or at least the pilot could
\nhave informed the ground about what was wrong,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He also said that the airplane was overhauled in late December
\nand declared in service again on Dec. 24.<\/p>\n
Ridwan said that when found, the black box will be sent to
\nCanada, because the aircraft was built by Canada's De Havilland
\nAircraft Limited.<\/p>\n
\"The Twin Otter has not been assembled anymore since 1976,
\nwhen the manufacturer was taken over by Boeing, which is not
\ninterested in such a type. However there are lots of Twin Otters
\nstill in operation, although parts are scarce,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Merpati originally operated 10 Twin Otters serving small
\ncities mostly in the eastern part of the country, where runways
\nare just 600 meters long. (icn)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/more-merpati-crash-victims-found-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}