Six missing in chopper crash

Six missing in chopper crash

SAMARINDA, East Kalimantan: One man died and six are missing
after a chopper crashed off the provincial coast on Saturday
morning.

As of Sunday, a joint team of the East Kalimantan coast guard
and Air Force, mobile brigade unit and Bontang subdistrict
administration continued the search for the missing. They were
identified as Mainuddin, Jufri, Amir Hamzah, Laurensius, Munadi
and Devi Irawan.

The team rescued six survivors. However, the pilot, identified
as Prabowo, 48, was found dead, a source from the Bontang Police
told Antara.

Survivors were co-pilot Edy Eko, 46, Jefry A. Carlos, 28,
Armansyah, 19, Tumpa Edward, 26, and Simon, 36. They are being
treated at a Bontang hospital.

Antara quoted police sources as saying the Bell helicopter
bearing registration number 412 crashed after its propeller
malfunctioned.

The helicopter was flying from Tanjungsantan subdistrict,
north of here, to Balikpapan.