Three victims of crash found dead

Syofiardi Bachyul Jb, The Jakarta Post/Padang

A search and rescue team found on Friday the remains of three passengers in a helicopter that crashed a day earlier in the Ladang Padi area near the West Sumatra provincial capital of Padang.

The team was still locating the bodies of three other victims in the accident on Friday. The co-pilot, Second. Insp. Asep, was earlier found alive.

Asep, whose knees were severely injured, was found by a search and rescue team while he was crawling out of the jungle for help. He is being treated at M. Djamil Hospital, Padang. "Asep can not talk as he is still deeply traumatized by the accident," a spokesman from the West Sumatra Police, Adj. Sr. Comr. M. Akmil, said.

The helicopter carried six mid-ranking police officers and a journalist when it went down in Ladang Padi area on Thursday at about 3 p.m. The six police officers were Sr. Comr. Harrison Harmaini, the director of crime division at West Sumatra provincial police, Sr. Comr. Bambang Irawan, the director of intelligence division, Adj. Sr. Jornalis Johor, the chief of criminal identification unit, Second Brig. Welly Permana, pilot Comr. Donis, co-pilot Second Insp. Asep and a journalist with the Singgalang daily Herman Tasrial. The bodies so far found have not yet been identified.

The officers were on the way to Padang after inspecting a suspicious forest fire in South Solok regency. About 10 minutes from Tabing Airport in Padang, the helicopter lost contact with flight control tower.

Witnesses said that they saw the helicopter flying in bad weather and said it caught fire before it crashed into the forest.

The inclement weather and mountainous terrain has slowed the search and rescue effort.

A police aircraft last crashed in February, when a Casa 212 airplane nosed-dived into an estuary meters in front of Papua's Sarmi Airport, killing 15 people. Three people survived.

Engine problems were determined to be the cause of that accident.

Air accidents have also been common among military aircraft during the past few years, heightening concerns about its aging fleet.

Military and police have complained they are underfunded and had to resort to cannibalizing parts from other aircraft to keep their aging fleets in the air.