15 die as plane crashes in Papua

15 die as plane crashes in Papua

Nethy Dharma Somba and Eva C. Komandjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jayapura/Jakarta

Fifteen people are dead after a police aircraft nose-dived into
an estuary meters in front of Papua's Sarmi Airport early on
Tuesday morning.

There were three survivors of the crash that killed four
police officers and 11 civilians. All were in a critical
condition in a Jayapura hospital on Tuesday night.

The four police officers who died in the crash are pilot Adj.
Comr. Garuda Giwangkara Gilangkencana, co-pilot Adj. Comr. Teguh
Basuki, and mechanics First Brig. Supriyadi and First Chief Pvt.
Mustaqim,

The civilian fatalities were Sarmi public works agency head
Robert Yerisitouw, his wife, Agustina and daughter Esterlina;
Norce Tiutiu, the wife of the first assistant to the secretary of
Sarmi administration, Lis Imbiri, Evi Imbiri, Yans Simbar and her
son Alfa; Sionawati, Anselma Aser and Lukas Hole.

The survivors, identified as Supriadi, Said Jamrut and Imel
Helena, remained in a critical condition at the Dok II Hospital
in Jayapura on Tuesday night.

The Casa 212 aircraft, crashed about 7.15 a.m. local time just
500 meters before the Sarmi Airport runway.

The plane took off around 45 minutes earlier from Sentani
Airport in Jayapura, about 300 kilometers east of the crash site.

Pilot Garuda had notified the tower about an engine problem
when the plane was about 18 kilometers away from Sarmi Airport,
Papua Police chief Insp. Gen. Dodi Sumantyawan said.

Residents who witnessed the accident saw the left propeller of
the plane cutting out before the crash.

However, the deputy spokesman for the National Police, Brig.
Gen. Soenarko, said the cause of the accident remained unknown as
a team of investigation was still working at the crash site.

Soenarko said the plane was not intended for commercial use
nor supposed to be carrying civilians.

"However, since land transportation remains a major problem in
Papua, such a plane is often used to help transport people,"
Soenarko said.

Produced by the National Aircraft Industry (IPTN) in 1985, it
was handed by the National Police Headquarters to the Papua
Police in February last year.

The plane had distributed ballot papers to remote areas for
last year's national elections.

Sarmi state electricity agency head Mesak Kyeuw-Kyeuw said the
plane often flew civilian passengers, who paid Rp 550,000 (US$61)
each for a one-way trip from Sarmi to Sentani.

Mesak said people could buy tickets at the local police
station but would often have to wait as the flight schedule was
often uncertain.

Sometimes a passenger from Sarmi would pay as high as Rp 1.1
million a trip to Sentani if the plane had returned with empty
seats from Jayapura Airport.

"Of course the ticket price is more expensive than usual, but
it is not a problem for us as long as we can get access to good
transportation," Mesak said.

Mesak had missed the deadly flight as he arrived late at the
Sentani airport on Tuesday.

Dodi said he would take stern action if he found any police
personnel had been flying the plane for commercial purposes.

The crash is the second in the province in the past three
months. In December last year, a 212 Bell helicopter belonging to
the Indonesian Military (TNI) crashed into the Silimo River in
Nabire while conducting a route check prior to the visit of
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono there on Dec. 24.

Three passengers and three crew were killed in the accident.