Five feared killed in air crash ahead of Susilo's Papua visit
Five feared killed in air crash ahead of Susilo's Papua visit
Nethy Dharma Somba, The Jakarta Post, Jayapura
A Navy helicopter crashed in the mountains of Nabire regency,
Papua province, amid bad weather on Wednesday, and all five
people on board were feared dead, police said.
The ill-fated Bell 212 chopper was making a test flight as
part of preparations for a planned visit on Saturday by President
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to Nabire for Christmas celebrations
with local residents.
Paniai Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Taufik Pribadi said the
helicopter crashed in Siriwo district, some 50 kilometers
southeast of the Nabire township.
The accident occurred some 30 minutes after the chopper took
off from Nabire airport at around 10:25 a.m., he said.
"Based on the latest contact with the helicopter, the pilot
said he had encountered bad weather. Communication was cut
shortly afterwards," Taufik said.
Quoting local villagers, he said they saw a helicopter
crashing into a river in the Siriwo district. An aerial search
also identified the crash site, he added.
The chopper carried three crew -- pilot Capt. Novi, copilot
First Lt. Putu and mechanic First Sgt. Disiono -- and two
passengers identified as Novi Kogoya and Mayu.
Taufik said that it was unknown whether all the five
Indonesians on board were killed instantly. However, he admitted
that there were no signs of survivors.
He said rescue operations would only begin early on Thursday
due to the difficult terrain, poor access and bad weather at the
crash site.
"There is no place for landing there, and the river is
surging," he added.
Taufik said a rescue team from the Navy and the National
Rescue Agency (Basarnas) is already on standby in Nabire.
He said the crash would not cause President Susilo to cancel
or postpone his planned trip to Nabire on Dec. 25. "So far, there
is no plan to change the visit."
Based on the schedule, Susilo and his wife Kristiani Herawati
as well as several ministers will leave Biak regency by a Tanjung
Dai Fele ship for Nabire on Saturday to meet victims of a
devastating earthquake that killed at least 23 people on Nov. 26.
On Sunday, the presidential entourage is slated to head to the
Papua capital of Jayapura for similar Christmas celebrations at
around 8 p.m. local time.
Bad weather has often been blamed for aircraft crashes in
Indonesia.
Earlier on Sept. 20 this year, a Bell 206 helicopter piloted
by U.S. national Neil Roesler plummeted to the ground near remote
Komamil village in the Papua town of Wamena, also due to foul
weather.
The mountainous landscape of Papua, the country's eastern-most
province, prevents people from using land transportation and
forces them to rely on air transportation to reach remote parts
of the region.
Similarly, the Indonesian Military blamed bad weather in Aceh
for causing a helicopter to crash on Oct. 12, in which eight
soldiers were killed.
The military said the ill-fated Bell 205 chopper was among its
aging aircraft, but it was fit to fly.
The Free Aceh Movement had previously claimed to have shot
down the U.S.-made aircraft, which was purchased by the Army in
1974.