Military chief orders investigation of Kopassus' accident in Aceh

Muninggar Sri Saraswati and ID Nugroho, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta/Surabaya

Indonesia Military (TNI) chief Gen. Endriartono Sutarto ordered on Tuesday an investigation into an accident that led to the deaths of eight elite soldiers in Aceh.

The investigation will focus on possible procedural violations and those responsible for the accident.

The eight Army Special Forces (Kopassus) soldiers died on Saturday after they plunged from a helicopter into the waters off Lhokseumawe in North Aceh while conducting a STABO maneuver as part of rehearsals for the celebration of the TNI's 58th anniversary. The helicopter was hovering 600 feet above the sea.

STABO, short for "stabilized tactical airborne operation", means the aerial transportation of personnel who are attached by a rope or similar device to the underside of a helicopter.

Endriartono said he expected the investigation into the accident would determine whether the decision to cut the harness suspending the soldiers from the helicopter was in accordance with procedures.

"This case must be settled. If it is found that procedures were violated, we will impose a harsh punishment," he said after welcoming the bodies of six of the eight soldiers at the Halim air base here.

The investigation team is led by Maj. Gen. Dadi Susanto, an intelligence assistant to the TNI's chief of general affairs.

Another investigative team has been set up by the martial law administration in Aceh, comprising three colonels and a lieutenant colonel. It remains unclear whether the two teams will jointly conduct an investigation or will work independently.

Endriartono said the probe would determine the highest officer responsible for the accident.

Military authorities in Aceh said the soldiers were to land in a field, but their harness was cut after the helicopter got caught in strong winds and became unstable, endangering the entire crew.

The bodies of the Kopassus troops were discovered on Monday, still tied together.

Four other Kopassus soldiers who were inside the helicopter landed uninjured.

The commander of the military operation in Aceh, Maj. Gen. Bambang Darmono, said on Monday he was prepared to take responsibility from the accident.

In response to the accident in Lhokseumawe, as well as one in Makassar, Endriartono ordered soldiers, particularly those in conflict areas, to hold modest celebrations to mark the TNI's anniversary.

A marine died at the hospital on Tuesday while being treated for burns he suffered while taking part in a mock raid on Sunday in the South Sulawesi capital of Makassar. The mock raid was part of the celebrations for the TNI's anniversary.

The ceremony to receive the bodies of the six Kopassus soldiers at Halim was led by the chief of the elite force, Maj. Gen. Sriyanto Muntrasan. Also attending were former Kopassus members Lt. Gen. (ret) Luhut B. Panjaitan, Army deputy chief Lt. Gen. Darsono and Jakarta Military chief Maj. Gen. Djoko Santoso.

The bodies of the soldiers were flown to their respective hometowns for burial.

In Surabaya, East Java, the bodies of the other two soldiers killed in the accident were received at the Juanda airport. The two soldiers, Chief Pvt. Choirul and Slamet, were natives of Pasuruan and Pamekasan, respectively.

Slamet's wife, Nur Cholilah, nearly collapsed as she arrived in the airport.

Nur's mother, Murni, said her daughter had just received a letter from her husband two days ago.

"We never expected this to happen," she said.