Two people killed in plane crash

Theresia Sufa, The Jakarta Post, Bogor

Two ultralight aircraft pilots died when their plane crashed in a field near Wates Jaya village in Cijeruk district, Bogor regency, south of Jakarta at 10:50 a.m. on Thursday.

The victims were identified as Norman Mokodompit, 48, a flying instructor at the Lido Aerosport Club, and Teguh Arif Wicaksono, 44, an instructor at the Pegasus Aerospot Club. Both men suffered fatal injuries in the crash, which occurred during takeoff.

The secretary of the Bogor branch of the Indonesian Aerosport Federation, Bing Sutanto, said at the Indonesian Red Cross Hospital in Bogor the accident was the first involving ultralight pilots. In 2002, a man died in a hang glider accident in Puncak, also in Bogor regency.

"Right now, we suspect the accident was caused by a failure during takeoff. They flew a very short distance and the accident took place about two minutes after takeoff," Bing said.

Norman and Teguh were flying at a speed of about 20 knots per hour in an American-made Red Baron ultralight plane when the crash occurred.

The distance from the Lido Aerosport Club airstrip where the ultralight took off to the field where it crashed is four kilometers.

Mulyana, a 47-year-old local resident who was in the field at the time of the crash, said the plane maneuvered several times above the field before it crashed in the field.

"We see these kinds of planes flying around here almost every day. Before it crashed, I saw it make a sharp turn. I thought the pilot was trying to avoid an electricity tower in the field before it crashed," he said.