Too early to blame pilot in STABO incident: Maj. Gen.
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
National Military Police commander Maj. Gen. Sulaiman A.B. said on Thursday it was too soon to blame the pilot for the recent Stabilized Tactical Airborne Operation (STABO) accident that left eight Army Special Force (Kopassus) soldiers dead in Aceh.
The two-star general said the investigation into the accident was continuing and that the team conducting the investigation had yet to reach any conclusions on the responsibility for the accident.
"Currently the team is still investigating the case and we have yet to conclude whether the helicopter pilot is responsible for the incident.
"If someone says the pilot must be held responsible, that is not correct," Sulaiman said at his office on Jl. Medan Merdeka Timur in Central Jakarta.
Sulaiman was apparently referring to Army chief Gen. Ryamizard Ryacudu, who said in Bone, South Sulawesi, on Wednesday that the helicopter pilot must be held responsible for the deaths of the eight Kopassus soldiers during maneuvers in Aceh in preparation for celebrations for the 58th anniversary of the TNI in October.
The STABO maneuver is commonly conducted by antiterror units to evacuate hostages.
Ryamizard said the TNI investigative team had pointed the finger of blame at the helicopter pilot for "failing to follow procedures in the event of such an emergency".
"A mistake was made by the pilot in the incident. He should have increased the helicopter's speed to avoid the strong winds, but instead he elevated the chopper which resulted in more wind pressure on the aircraft," Ryamizard said.
He said the pilot would be court-martialled. "Any errant soldier will receive punishment, including the pilot."
Eight Kopassus soldiers plunged into the sea off Lhokseumawe in the war-torn Aceh province on Oct. 4 after the harness they were suspended from on the outside of the helicopter was cut when the helicopter became unstable in strong winds.
Following the incident, TNI Headquarters established an investigative team led by Maj. Gen. Dadi Susanto, an intelligence assistant to the TNI's chief for general affairs. Sulaiman is a member of the team.
Sulaiman did not say whether the team had identified the soldier or soldier on board the helicopter who gave the order to cut the harness. There were four other Kopassus soldiers on board the helicopter at the time of the incident, besides the pilot who would likely have been focused on trying to control the aircraft.