Five injured in Army plane's aborted takeoff

JAKARTA (JP): An Army Cassa-212 carrying paratroopers crashed when it aborted its takeoff on Sunday during a training session at Pondok Cabe Airfield in Ciputat, Tangerang, injuring at least five soldiers aboard.

The plane was piloted by Lt. Andreas Eko with Lt. Baskoro as copilot. Both are from the Army's air unit.

The plane was carrying 14 paratroopers from the Army's Strategic Reserves Command (Kostrad) who were being trained.

Army Spokesman Brig. Gen. FX. Bachtiar said the airplane was taxiing down the runway and was about to take off when Baskoro felt that there was something wrong with its engine.

"The pilot then immediately canceled the takeoff," Bachtiar told The Jakarta Post by telephone.

He added that the plane then veered off the runway onto the uneven grass field, causing its left wing to snap.

According to Bachtiar, parachute training using the same airplane had begun a day earlier. However, after one session, training had to be postponed due to bad weather.

"Today (Sunday), they started training at 7.30 a.m. The accident occurred when the plane was making its second flight at about 9.20 a.m," Bachtiar said.

He added that the Army was investigating the incident.

The five injured soldiers are being treated at the Gatot Subroto Army Hospital.

The plane was built by state-owned aircraft manufacturer PT Industri Pesawat Terbang Nusantara (IPTN), now called PT Dirgantara Indonesia, and handed to the Army in 1990.

In January, a Navy Cassa-212 crashed in a mountain in Jayawijaya regency, Irian Jaya, killing, among others, Irian Jaya Police chief Insp. Gen. FX. Sumardi, provincial Military commander Maj. Gen. Tonny A. Rompis and provincial council speaker Nathaniel Kaywai. (02)