Plane crash near Sidoardjo

SURABAYA: Three people died when a Fokker-27 aircraft owned by Merpati Nusantara crashed in the Sampiran area, Sidoardjo, on Monday evening.

The plane was on a training exercise when it went down near Djuanda airport, Antara reported.

The plane, crewed by pilot Cpt. Uto Titi, copilot David Mantik and mechanic Andi Mulia, was not carrying any passengers.

The head of the Operations Division at Djuanda Airport, Hari Utama, said he believed the aircraft had experienced engine trouble.

"However, we're presently conducting a more detailed investigation. We are still trying to find the black box," he said.