No clues as search for black box continues<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The search continued yesterday for the black box
\ncontaining flight data of the Garuda Indonesia plane that crashed
\ntwo weeks ago near Medan, North Sumatra, with the government
\npromising a transparent disclosure of any findings.<\/p>\n
"We will be transparent," Minister of Transportation Haryanto
\nDhanutirto said after attending a ministerial meeting on the
\neconomy, finance, and development supervision here yesterday.<\/p>\n
Garuda Indonesia's A-300 B-4 Airbus flight number GA-152
\ncrashed on Sept. 26 in Buah Nabar village in Sibolangit
\nsubdistrict of the Deli Serdang regency, killing all 234
\npassengers and crew on board.<\/p>\n
After a futile 10-day search, the flight data recorder, known
\nas the black box, has still not been found, according to Oetrajo
\nDiran who heads the team of investigators.<\/p>\n
Difficult terrain at the crash site has been cited as the main
\nobstacle for the search team, despite some sophisticated
\nequipment used in the process. A group of experts from Europe
\nalso joined the search team which combed a greater area Sunday.<\/p>\n
Diran was quoted by Antara as saying it would be up to his
\nteam to determine when to call off the search.<\/p>\n
The search team included hundreds of soldiers, policemen, air
\nnavigation experts, traffic control officials and experts from
\nAirbus Industrie, the French-based jet manufacturer.<\/p>\n
If found, the black box will be sent abroad for analysis as
\nIndonesia does not have the facilities to do so.<\/p>\n
In the past several months, a large area of Southeast Asia has
\nbeen blanketed by thick smog caused by forest fires in Sumatra
\nand Kalimantan.<\/p>\n
The pilot of the aircraft, Rachmo Wiyogo, reportedly told
\nPolonia Airport traffic control tower moments before the crash
\nthat he was encountering poor visibility.<\/p>\n
Speculation about the cause of the accident has been
\nheightened by the emergence of what is claimed to be a transcript
\nof the final conversation between the pilot and an air traffic
\ncontroller. The transcript suggests the pilot misunderstood a
\ndirection, or was given a wrong direction, and turned the wrong
\nway when approaching Medan.<\/p>\n
In a related development in Medan yesterday, 50-year-old
\nNawari Boro Sitepu, a farmer of the Buah Nabar village, called on
\nthe airline to compensate for damages caused by the crash on her
\ntwo-hectare land.<\/p>\n
"I hope Garuda Indonesia will pay attention... it is now
\ndifficult for us to cultivate the land," said Sitepu, a mother of
\nfour who pays for her childrens' school tuition with proceeds
\nfrom her durian farm.<\/p>\n
Buah Nabar village chief B. Gurusinga said the main water
\nsource for the 570 village residents, as well as some portions of
\nthe village road, had also been damaged by the crash.<\/p>\n
"Our sources of drinking water has been polluted and villagers
\ndo not want to use them anymore. They now have to take water from
\nSembahe and Bingkawan districts which are three kilometers away
\nfrom our village," Gurusinga said. (aan)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/no-clues-as-search-for-black-box-continues-1447893297",
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