Search workers fiund first missing chopper

Search workers fiund first missing chopper

JAKARTA (JP): Search and rescue workers sent out to comb the
jungles of East Kalimantan for a helicopter that disappeared on
July 26 instead found the wreckage of a chopper that had been
missing since May.

The wreckage belongs to a Sikorsky helicopter of registration
number PK-OBS that went missing on May 5 with two people on
board, Heru Legowo, head of the search operation, was quoted by
the Antara news agency as saying yesterday.

The charred remains of both men, pilot Suyanto and passenger
Suyono -- were found near the wreckage. All of the helicopter was
burned except for the two rotors.

Both bodies have been airlifted to Balikpapan, according to
the report.

Heru, the chief of the Search and Rescue (SAR) team at
Sepinggan airport in Balikpapan, said that he is now awaiting
instructions from Jakarta on whether or not to continue the
search for the other missing helicopter -- also a Sikorsky with
registration number PK-OBT which was carrying 18 people on board.

The SAR team had originally planned to call off the search on
Saturday, but decided to carry on when they first spotted the
wreckage on Friday.

Both helicopters belonged to the private operator Air Fast
Indonesia and were rented out to PT Sumber Daya Alam, a logging
company, when they disappeared. (emb)