TNI chief halts all air missions<\/p>\n
Slamet Susanto and Tarko Sudiarno, The Jakarta Post\/Yogyakarta<\/p>\n
Indonesia Military (TNI) chief Gen. Endriartono Soetarto ordered
\non Friday that all TNI helicopters be temporarily grounded the
\nday after a helicopter crash in Wonosobo that killed 14 Air Force
\npersonnel.<\/p>\n
\"All helicopters must be grounded temporarily, including the
\nArmy's Bell 205 helicopters. All air missions, including flight
\ntraining during bad weather, will be put to a temporary halt,\"
\nthe four-star Army general was quoted as saying by Antara news
\nagency.<\/p>\n
Endriartono said the air missions would be reinstated only
\nafter all Indonesian Military helicopters had undergone thorough
\nchecks.<\/p>\n
\"The safety of personnel has to be the first priority. We
\ncannot hesitate to delay or cancel any mission if it is thought
\nto pose a danger to personnel,\" said Endriartono after leading a
\nceremony at the Halim Perdanakusuma Air Force base in Jakarta.<\/p>\n
During the ceremony, the bodies of seven Air Force personnel
\nkilled in Thursday's crash were handed over to their families for
\nburial.<\/p>\n
Air Force chief Marshal Chappy Hakim said in Yogyakarta the
\nAir Force had established a team to investigate the fatal crash
\non Thursday in the mountains near Wonosobo, Central Java.<\/p>\n
\"We expect the results of the investigation to come out soon.
\nBut for the time being, we suspect that bad weather was behind
\nthe accident,\" said Chappy.<\/p>\n
The Super Puma chopper, which was traveling from the Adi
\nSutjipto air base in Yogyakarta to the Kalijati air base in
\nSubang, West Java, went down in the mountainous area amid bad
\nweather.<\/p>\n
According to reports, the helicopter was manufactured by
\nstate-owned aircraft maker PT IPTN in 1992 and was in good
\ncondition before the crash.<\/p>\n
The accident occurred just a day after another military
\nhelicopter crash in Nabire, Papua.<\/p>\n
Chappy said President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono called him a
\nfew hours after the crash on Thursday to express his deepest
\ncondolences.<\/p>\n
House of Representatives legislator Soeripto blamed the
\npractice of \"cannibalization\" in the military fleet for the
\ncrash.<\/p>\n
Cannibalization refers to the practice of military mechanics
\nusing parts from grounded military vehicles or aircraft to repair
\nother vehicles and aircraft.<\/p>\n
\"That's what I'm worried about. As for bad weather, all
\naircraft can be subject to bad weather. If an aircraft is flying
\nusing incompatible spare parts it is very dangerous,\" he was
\nquoted as saying by AFP.<\/p>\n
The Wonosobo crash is just the latest in a series of military
\nchopper accidents over the past several months. On Wednesday, a
\nNavy helicopter smashed into a river in Nabire, Papua, killing
\nfive. That crash also occurred amid bad weather.<\/p>\n
In October, eight military personnel were killed when their
\nArmy Bell 205 helicopter crashed in bad weather in Bireuen, Aceh.<\/p>",
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