The pilot of a Pelita Air fuel transport aircraft that crashed in the\nhilly terrain of Krayan, Nunukan Regency, North Kalimantan, has been\nreported safe. The pilot is said to have escaped death after\nsuccessfully deploying a parachute moments before the aircraft hit the\nground.<\/p>\n
The information was conveyed by Dawat Butal, a local resident in\ncontact with inhabitants of Pa\u2019 Betung Village near the crash area. The\npilot has since been found and evacuated by local residents.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe pilot has been found by residents of Pa\u2019 Betung. The pilot\nhimself recounted that he used a parachute. The pilot is safe and has\nbeen secured by Pa\u2019 Betung villagers,\u201d said Dawat, as quoted on Thursday\n(19 February).<\/p>\n
Dawat, currently in the Trang Baru area, explained that according to\nlocal eyewitnesses, the aircraft fuselage was seen plunging into the\nhills first, followed shortly afterwards by the parachute carrying the\npilot descending from the sky.<\/p>\n
At the time of reporting, the villagers and the pilot remained at a\nsafe location in Pa\u2019 Betung Village. Local residents had not yet been\nable to reach the precise crash site of the aircraft wreckage due to the\ndifficult terrain.<\/p>\n
\u201cAccording to residents, the aircraft fell first and then the\nparachute followed down. Residents have not yet reached the crash site.\nI have asked locals to send photographs and video if they are able to,\u201d\nDawat added.<\/p>\n
Pelita Air Responds<\/p>\n
Corporate Secretary of PT Pelita Air Service, Patria Rhamadonna, said\nthat the accident involving one of Pelita Air\u2019s charter fleet was under\ninvestigation.<\/p>\n
The flight was a fuel cargo service crewed by a single pilot, with no\ncabin crew or passengers, using an Air Tractor AT-802 aircraft with\nregistration PK-PAA.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe aircraft is a specialist fleet serving the One Price Fuel\ndelivery mission to border regions. At the last monitoring point, the\naircraft had just completed a distribution mission to Long Bawan and was\non its return route to Juwata Airport, Tarakan,\u201d said Patria in a\nwritten statement.<\/p>\n
The Pelita Air aircraft crashed shortly after take-off, having\nunloaded its fuel cargo at Yuvai Semaring Airport in Long Bawan. Weather\nconditions over Krayan at the time of the incident and continuing\nthereafter were reported as overcast and dark.<\/p>\n
An eyewitness at the airport, Aboy, described the tense moments as\nthe aircraft began to lose control.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe aircraft took off and was turning to the left. What I saw was\nthat one part of the aircraft came loose, followed by the aircraft\nbanking uncontrollably,\u201d said Aboy.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/pilot-of-pelita-air-aircraft-that-crashed-in-krayan-kalimantan-reported-safe-1771628552", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }