Gatari chopper reported missing

BANDUNG (JP): An N-Bell 412 helicopter belonging to charter firm PT Gatari went missing during its flight from Semarang to Bandung on Thursday.

The helicopter was flying to Bandung to be repaired by aircraft manufacturer PT Dirgantara Indonesia (PTDI), formerly IPTN, Mohamad Reza, who is the head of the helicopter division at PTDI, told Radio Mara in Bandung.

According to Reza, the helicopter, which was manufactured by IPTN, lost contact with Husein Sastranegara Airport in Bandung at 3 p.m.

He said he believed the helicopter was carrying three people: the pilot, the copilot and a mechanic.

Cikalong Wetan Police chief First Insp. Syaiful Bahri said residents of Rendeh village reported a downed helicopter in the hills near the village.

Syaiful said the villagers made their report at about 4 p.m., but police were unable to locate the helicopter because of heavy rain.

"We are not sure yet if it is the PT Gatari helicopter," Syaiful said, confirming that a man from PT Gatari had telephoned him concerning the missing helicopter.

Reza said two helicopters from his company carrying rescuers had begun the search for the missing helicopter.

The Air Force and the Indonesian Radio Organization (ORARI) are assisting the operation, he added.

The coordinator of the Bandung regency branch of ORARI, Dadang Sudjana, said from Rendeh village that as of 8 p.m. the rescue team had yet to locate any signs of the helicopter.

"A heavy rain is falling here and there is a thick fog. We are still trying to decide on the best way to search for the helicopter in the hilly land." (25/sur)