Pilot of Pelita Air Charter Plane That Crashed in Nunukan Confirmed Dead; Transport Ministry Reveals Timeline

Director General of Civil Aviation at the Ministry of Transport, Lukman F. Laisa, has reported that the pilot of a Pelita Air charter aircraft carrying fuel that crashed in the Nunukan area of North Kalimantan has been confirmed dead.

“The latest information we received at 15.16 WITA is that the pilot, Captain Hendrick Lodewyck Adam, has been pronounced dead,” Lukman said in Jakarta on Thursday, 19 February 2026.

The Ministry of Transport stated that the aircraft which crashed on Thursday, 19 February 2026, was an Air Tractor AT-802 with registration PK-PAA, manufactured in 2013, serial number 802-0494, operated by Pelita Air Service specifically for transporting fuel to remote areas.

The aircraft was reported to have crashed during a flight on the Long Bawan–Tarakan route. It departed from Long Bawan Airport at 04.10 UTC (12.10 WITA) bound for Tarakan Airport carrying a cargo of Pertamina fuel, with an estimated arrival time in Tarakan of 05.15 UTC (13.15 WITA).

Lukman said the pilot had previously informed the Tarakan Air Traffic Controller (ATC) that the aircraft’s estimated time abeam Malinau was 04.24 UTC (12.24 WITA). However, at 04.20 UTC (12.20 WITA), an emergency locator transmitter (ELT) signal was received from the aircraft.

Based on preliminary data, the cause of the accident involving the single-crew aircraft — piloted solely by Captain Hendrick Lodewyck Adam — is still under investigation.

Regarding airworthiness, Lukman continued, the aircraft had undergone routine 100-hour and 200-hour inspections on 11 February 2026. The aircraft’s total flight hours stood at 3,303 hours.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation has coordinated with the operator, airport authorities, and relevant agencies to ensure that response measures on the ground are proceeding properly. The investigation process will be carried out in accordance with prevailing regulations by the competent authorities.

“The Directorate General of Civil Aviation expresses its deepest condolences over this incident and urges all parties to await verified official information,” Lukman said.

Previously, Pelita Air stated that the aircraft which crashed in the Nunukan area of North Kalimantan was a cargo aircraft used for fuel transport, not a passenger service. Pelita Air Corporate Secretary Patria Rhamadonna said the flight was a cargo fuel transport service crewed by a single pilot.