Missing plane found, three dead

Missing plane found, three dead

PALEMBANG, South Sumatra: The national search and rescue team (SAR) located yesterday the wreckage of a missing Piper Chieftain PA 31-350 King Air, owned by PT Indonesian Air Transport (IAT), with all three on board dead.

The plane, which went missing Friday afternoon while taking aerial photographs of a mining site in Musi Rawas regency, was found in Lubuk Linggau, Antara reported.

Lt. Co. Yanuwardi of the Palembang Air Force Base, said the three victims would be taken to Palembang today.

The three victims were the pilot M. Shaleh (Indonesian), copilot Arief (Indonesian), and the aerial photographer Allan Opperend (Australian).

Yanuwardi said the missing plane was found after six aircraft were deployed, including one from the Air Force, three from IAT and a Cassa and a helicopter owned by the National Police.

The cause of the plane crash has not been determined but is under investigation, he said.

Yanuwardi said the King Air plane had been leased by Perth- based surveyor Maat Engineering since Feb. 24.

The small aircraft took off from Palembang's Sultan Mahmud Baearuddin Airport on Friday at 8:04 a.m. (hhr)