Two people killed in helicopter crash

Two people killed in helicopter crash

JAKARTA (JP): A Pelita Air Service NBO-105 helicopter crashed
and burned in Blang Dalam village in the Pidie regency of Aceh on
Saturday, killing two people and seriously injuring another,
Antara reported yesterday.

Those killed were pilot Bambang Gatot and loadmaster Supardi,
while the injured person was identified as mechanic Sutanto.

Supardi's body was found in the cockpit but Bambang and
Sutanto were both thrown out of the helicopter, Antara reported.

Bambang's and Gatot's bodies arrived at Halim Perdanakusuma
airbase in Jakarta yesterday on a Pelita F-100 aircraft. They
will be buried today.

Bambang died on the way to hospital in North Sumatra capital
of Medan Saturday and Sutanto is still under intensive medical
care at the Elizabeth hospital in that city.

The helicopter was chartered by the Jakarta-based gold mining
company PT Miwah Tambang Emas and was flying to its plant in
Geumpang on the border of Aceh Barat and Pidie regencies.

The helicopter was carrying survey equipment and left Medan's
Polonia airport at 7.30 a.m. on Saturday. It crashed at 9.35
a.m., about 25 minutes before it was scheduled to land.

Pelita officials said the cause of the accident was still
under investigation. Eyewitnesses said the helicopter crashed and
exploded in the jungle after the rotors stopped.

"We will find out what caused the accident," Chief of the
Pidie Police District Lt. Col. Kamil Fahmi said.

He said the helicopter deviated from its usual route, possibly
because of the weather.

On Saturday the helicopter took the shortest route because the
pilot thought the weather was good, he said quoting an official
from PT Miwah Tambang Emas Sigli, 112 kilometers east of Banda
Aceh.

The weather in North Sumatra and neighboring Aceh has been
rough lately and could be dangerous for light aircraft and
helicopters, according to Kamil. (imn)