Cargo plane goes missing in Borneo

Cargo plane goes missing in Borneo

JAKARTA: A cargo plane that routinely flies between the more remote areas of East Kalimantan is believed to have crashed on Tuesday morning in the jungle near Benuang village, Krayan subdistrict, Nunukan district.

The aircraft, with registration number PK-TAR BN2A, was flying from Tarakan to Krayan.

According to available information, the aircraft was manned by a crew consisting of a pilot, Lt. Col. Suyamto, and a flight engineer, Apriansyah. It is believed to have been carrying eight passengers, who have been identified as: Filipus, Mariam, Andreas, Frans, Berli, Johannes, Yuni and Bangau.

Zainuddin, the head of Juwata Airport in Tarakan, said on Tuesday the plane belonged to the East Kalimantan administration and was jointly operated with PT Borneo Air Transport. It flew the Tarakan-Krayan route.

The missing plane, a Britten Noorman, took off from Juwata Airport at 9 a.m. and was scheduled to land at Yuvai Semaring Airport in Krayan at 10:10 a.m.

"We last made contact with pilot Suyamto at 9:55 a.m. We contacted Yuvai Semaring Airport and were informed the weather in Krayan was clear for landing," Zainuddin said. --Antara