A time to wait not speculate

I am an American guest in Indonesia and an aircrew member with many hours in command of heavy jet aircrafts.

I was also here in 1979 when an F-28 ran into a mountain in Brastagi, and actively participated in the search and rescue effort at that time.

I write to urge all parties involved in this tragedy to follow the example set by the Minister of Transportation Haryanto Dhanutirto and wait for the accident report.

Like any other modern country, Indonesia has experts trained in such investigations. Allow them to do their jobs. They will be thorough and they will get to the bottom of the issue.

However long it takes -- three months, six months, a year - eventually we will get an accident report that will be the product of an exacting investigation made by careful minds.

May we all read it at that time and may their findings be the cause for changes that avoid yet a third CFIT (controlled flight into terrain) accident in Medan.

Most of all, let us not allow this to be turned into a western-style media carnival with speculation about this, and rumors about that, especially when the honor and reputation of the aircraft commander is at stake and he is not here to defend himself.

Capt. D.H. TOWNSHEND II

Jakarta