10 hurt in U.S. chopper crash
10 hurt in U.S. chopper crash
The Jakarta Post, Banda Aceh
A U.S. Seahawk helicopter crashed in a paddy field here on
Monday, causing a slight hindrance to efforts to help stranded
tsunami victims across Aceh province.
United States military and Indonesian officials said all 10
sailors on board the chopper were injured in the accident that
occurred at around 7:40 a.m. near the Banda Aceh airport.
The ill-fated helicopter was trying to land near the main
tsunami relief airport.
"There was no fire ball but a little smoke. It landed on its
side," Capt. Joe Plenzler, a U.S. military spokesman, was quoted
by AP as saying.
He added that the helicopter's propeller was twisted by the
impact of the crash.
U.S. authorities said there was no indication that the
helicopter had been shot at.
Maj. Gen. Bambang Darmono, who is tasked with overseeing the
Indonesian relief operation in Aceh, said the helicopter took off
from the tarmac at about 7.30 a.m., but crashed onto a rice
field, some 50 meters from the airport.
The crash should not hamper aid supplies from the airport to
refugees, he said. The Dec. 26 earthquake and tsunami killed more
than 104,000 people in Aceh and North Sumatra and left up to
400,000 homeless.
The U.S. military suspended helicopter flights for about two
hours after the crash.
The crash was the latest in a series of glitches blighting
delivery of relief to the hungry and sick along Aceh's western
coast.
Last Tuesday Banda Aceh's airport was closed for most of the
day when a Boeing 737 cargo plane skidded off the runway after
swerving to avoid a buffalo.
Despite millions of dollars of aid pouring into Aceh,
logistical problems including bottlenecks at airports have caused
serious delays in distributing supplies.
An eye witness, named only as Wardi, said he was on his way to
his rice field when Monday's accident occurred. The helicopter
crashed about 20 meters away from him.
He said he saw the helicopter hovering low and making a lot of
noise and it seemed as if it could not ascend any further.
"I said to myself why can't this helicopter go up. But
suddenly, it fell down onto the field," Wardi said.
He said that after the crash he saw three people walk out of
the craft and all looked fine. Later, he saw other passengers
being taken out of the chopper using stretchers.
Indonesian Military chief Gen. Endriartono Sutarto expressed
regret over the crash. "This kind of accident can occur anywhere
and anytime. It's not because it's in Aceh. So, I hope that this
accident will not reduce U.S. commitment in helping with our
humanitarian operation here."
Lt. Cmdr. John M. Daniels of the U.S. military blamed the
crash on a "possible mechanical failure" and said it was being
investigated.
He said one person had fractured an ankle and another suffered
a dislocated hip. The other eight sailors on board suffered "no
significant injuries", he told AP.
The injured Navy personnel were flown to the USS Bonhomme
Richard, which is supporting a Marines strike force that is also
helping in the relief effort, said Cmdr. Bill Leininger, the
senior doctor aboard the ship. The USS Bonhomme Richard has
better X-ray facilities than the battle group's USS Abraham
Lincoln aircraft carrier, he said.
"We just want to be absolutely safe with our sailors,"
Leininger said.
The U.S. military said in a press release that the helicopter
had experienced an "in-flight emergency" and then "executed a
hard landing".
Photos from the scene showed the Seahawk lying on its side in
the paddy, its main rotor crumpled.
Authorities quickly cordoned off the area around the crash
site and U.S. officials began searching the field, apparently
looking for debris.