AMA Director: Body of US Pilot to Be Evacuated to Jayapura

The director of PT Associated Mission Aviation (AMA), Bob Kayadu, has confirmed that the body of Nicholas F. Goselin (29), an American pilot who died after allegedly being shot by an armed criminal group (KKB) in Balinggama, Sobaham District, Yahukimo Regency, Papua Pegunungan, will be evacuated to Jayapura, Papua. According to Bob, the evacuation was carried out by personnel from the Koops TNI Habema on Friday (3/7). The body is currently in Timika and is scheduled to be flown to Jayapura to be laid in state at the AMA hangar in Sentani, Jayapura Regency. “The AMA team in Timika will receive Pilot Nich’s body from the Koops TNI Habema Task Force and will fly it to Jayapura using an AMA aircraft,” Bob Kayadu told ANTARA when contacted from Jayapura on Friday. Bob stated that PT AMA has been operating in Tanah Papua for 67 years and this is the first time an aircraft and its crew have become victims of violence. “We deeply regret the violence experienced by a pilot who was indeed on duty serving communities in the interior of Tanah Papua, because this is different from dying in an incident,” said Bob Kayadu. Separately, the Head of Information for Koops TNI Habema, Lieutenant Colonel Inf Wirya Artadiguna, said that personnel evacuated the body from Balinggama to Timika on Friday (3/7) using three helicopters. The evacuation began at 06:45 WIT, and after collecting the body, the helicopters stopped in Wamena to refuel before continuing the flight to Timika. Upon arrival in Timika, the body will undergo preparation procedures at the Timika Army Hospital before being handed over to AMA. The AMA aircraft, operating the Wamena-Balinggama-Wamena route under flight code PK-RCY, was allegedly set on fire by KKB members upon arriving in Balinggama with seven passengers on Thursday (2/7). The seven passengers on the AMA flight bound for Balinggama were Eston Sobolim, Kluenang Sobolim, Toni Balingga, Elina Sobolim, Ona Sobolim, Lisenia Balingga, and Vaince Amo Hoso.