Two children in Thursday's plane crash uninjured

SEMARANG (JP): Four-year-old Drian Pamudji and his seven-month-old baby brother Romadhon Gita Sambora, escaped unhurt in Thursday's plane crash here.

The children were among the five passengers of the Cessna 402 aircraft that crashed about 4 p.m. into a residential area of Karangsari village, West Semarang.

The two children are staying with local residents awaiting their injured parents -- Johar Marlande, 30, and Mariyati, 25 -- to recover at the Telogorejo Hospital.

The others hurt in the accident were pilot Kuntardi, 36, mechanic Fajri Sabri, 36, passenger Ngatmin, 39, and three residents whose houses were damaged. They were treated at the same hospital.

Kuntardi reportedly needed serious treatment for a head injury, while the others needed only minor treatment.

"The two children were suffering only from shock," nurse Suwardi said.

The Cessna plane, flight number PK BBI, belonging to PT Benua Indonesia, a wood company based in Pontianak, crashed while on its way from the West Kalimantan capital en route to Surabaya, East Java.

Fajri, the mechanic, said the plane was airworthy before it took off, but said it was rarely used except to fly around Pontianak.

He said there was no sign of trouble before the plane went down. "A moment before it crashed, however, the gas fuel was low. I saw the pilot was worried," he said.

"I don't know how, but the plane suddenly dived out of control. I surrendered myself to God and now thank God that all passengers were safe," Fajri said.

Authorities are still investigating the cause of the crash.

"We need time to learn the cause of the plane crash. We believe more than one factor caused the crash," said O. Diran, chairman of the Committee for the Investigation of Air Accidents of the Ministry of Transportation. (har/aan)