3 killed in helicopter crash at Sahid Jaya Hotel
3 killed in helicopter crash at Sahid Jaya Hotel
M. Taufiqurrahman, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
A commercial helicopter undertaking a survey flight skid off
the helipad of the Sahid Jaya Hotel in Central Jakarta and fell
22 floors into the hotel's swimming pool, killing all three
people on board.
Eyewitness Robert Hauberdeen told reporters that at around
11:40 a.m., the helicopter slid about eight meters from the
helipad because of high winds and failed to land.
Muhadi, another eyewitness, said that the tail of the
helicopter crashed into the side of the hotel and plunged to the
third floor by the swimming pool. No explosion occurred, and two
people near the crash site were unharmed.
Separately, deputy spokesman of the National Police Edward
Aritonang said that engine problems might have prompted the
helicopter to make an emergency landing in the Semanggi area, but
it turned into a fiasco.
The three aboard the ill-fated flight were Air Force Major
Affandi Malik (39), the pilot, Daisy Darmawan (32), an accountant
for transportation company PT Mitra Radjasa Semesta, and Donovan
Ardiansyah (31), a duty manager of the Aston Hotel. All died
instantly from injuries sustained in the crash.
Weily B. Muljadi, Executive Director of PT Helizona, the
operator of the helicopter, said that PT Mitra Radjasa Semesta
had rented the helicopter to explore the possibility of opening
an air taxi business in Jakarta.
"The flight was aimed at observing the availability of hotel
helipads in Jakarta," Weily said.
He added that prior to the flight, the Robinson 44 helicopter
was in good condition and well-maintained, and that the pilot was
experienced and skilled, having carried out a lot of test flights
previously.
Affandi graduated from the Military Academy in Magelang in
1986, taking early retirement in 1995, and was working at the
transportation ministry's Directorate General of Air
Transportation as head of flight personnel deployment.
He was a specialist pilot for Sykorsky/twin pac helicopters
and was once flew operations in East Timor and Papua.
The two other victims, Daisy and Donovan, were conducting
business-related activities.
The bodies of the victims were taken to state-owned Cipto
Mangunkusumo General Hospital in Central Jakarta.