Habibie rules out engine failure in CN-235 crash
BANDUNG (JP): President of state-owned PT Industri Pesawat Terbang Nusantara (IPTN) B.J. Habibie ruled out yesterday engine failure as causing a CN-235 plane to crash on Thursday.
Habibie played a video recording of the crash yesterday before an audience including journalists at IPTN's office while explaining the chronology of the accident.
"So, it's completely wrong to suggest that a propeller broke and that a fire broke out before it crashed," he said in apparent reference to a report by The Jakarta Post yesterday.
The Post's report, quoting an unnamed source, was not substantiated by video evidence.
The military version of the CN-235 plane, built by IPTN, crashed while conducting a test to parachute-drop a four-ton cargo at Gorda Serang airbase in West Java on Thursday.
Habibie said the plane crashed because a rope from a second parachute broke from its sand cargo while it was still inside the plane. This caused the plane, which was flying at a low altitude of 200 meters, to lose balance and crash to the ground.
He said an investigation was continuing into the accident, including on the reason why the parachute rope snapped.
All six crew members, including an American, were killed in the crash. The five Indonesians -- pilot Erwin Danoewinata, copilot S.F. Hamijaya Halim, flight test engineer Didik Permadi, flight test mechanics Prihatno Sutwowiryo and Bambang S. Budiprasetyo -- were buried at Cikutra Hero Cemetery in Bandung yesterday with military honors.
Arrangements were being made with the U.S. Embassy to fly the remains of William Denton, an employee of Metrix Inc of the U.S. which produced the parachute, to the United States.
Habibie led the funeral ceremony which was attended by Armed Forces Chief Gen. Feisal Tanjung and Minister of Transportation Haryanto Dhanutirto.
The five Indonesians received the Bintang Sakti (Sacred Star) order for "extraordinary services" beyond the call of duty, Habibie announced.
Habibie said he was deeply grieved at the loss of the five men. "But we have to carry on with the common struggle, forever onward, never retreat, never relent or give up for the sake of the people we love," he said.
He said IPTN would also pay their full salaries for the remainder of the year to their heirs and pay for the education of their children.
Messages of condolences from overseas include from Prince Sheikh Mohammad Bin Zayid of the United Arab Emirates and Spain's CASA President R. Herranz.
The accident was recorded by two video cameras, one taken from the ground and another by a plane accompanying the ill-fated plane.
During the playback, Habibie said the plane's cargo was set up at the open ramp door and ready to be dropped. The videos showed that the parachute ropes were torn. The plane then stalled, which negated its power to ascend.
Habibie said the pilot's best course of action in this situation would be to bring the plane to a lower altitude and then make a rapid ascent. "But this maneuver couldn't be done because the plane's altitude was too low," he stressed.
Habibie said all procedures had been observed. The Metrix parachute, which had the capacity to pull up to five tons of cargo, had also been tested several times.
"We conducted 20 such tests this year and all were successful," he said, recalling that one previous test was even conducted at two meters above ground.
He said similar accidents had happened with Lockheed and Hercules planes. "I want to emphasize that the crash was not caused by problems with the plane. The plane was fine and good."
"There was no effect whatsoever for IPTN except for the unfounded news story," he said. (ahy/emb/sur)