Two die in helicopter crash

MEDAN, North Sumatra (JP): A helicopter crashed into a rubber plantation near the village of Hapesong, 600 kilometers south of here, Sunday morning. The two people aboard were killed.

Rescue workers identified the victims as pilot Conrad C. Ferguson, a 34-year-old Australian, and Jospin Simbolon, 28, a computer technician who lived in Serpong, Tangerang regency, West Java.

It was the first aircraft accident of the year. More than 380 people died in five aircraft crashes, including that of a helicopter, last year.

South Tapanuli military commander Lt. Col. Adi Untara told The Jakarta Post yesterday that the Air-B chopper, registration number 3515, was en route to Padang Sidempuan for a survey of a gold deposit for Jakarta-based mining company PT Danau Toba Mining.

He said Ferguson and Jospin, both employees of the mining company, had almost completed their 400-kilometer journey.

Adi said the aging helicopter, chartered from PT Intan Angkasa Service, was hovering at a low altitude over the plantation when a strong gust of wind struck it.

"The chopper went out of control and hit high-voltage electric pylons before it smashed into the rubber plantation," Adi aid, adding that the helicopter crashed after its tail boom got caught in the pylons.

He said South Tapanuli regency blacked out for a few hours after the accident.

"No residents were killed in the crash," Adi said.

Dozens of police, troops and rescue workers were deployed to the scene to retrieve the bodies.

The remains were taken to a nearby community health center and then sent to Medan's Pirngadi Hospital for post-mortems.

A local police officer, Second Lt. T. Pasaribu, estimated the financial loss caused by the crash at around US$3.5 million.

Police and a team of investigators from the transportation company have started investigating the accident. (21/amd)