Wreckage of missing plane located, all people aboard killed
Wreckage of missing plane located, all people aboard killed
WAMENA, Irian Jaya (JP): The wreckage of the ill-fated Navy
Cassa plane was located in a remote mountainous area of
Jayawijaya regency on Wednesday with all people aboard found
dead.
The Jakarta Post correspondent reported from Wamena that
the bodies of the nine passengers (not eleven as earlier
reported) had yet to be evacuated due to bad weather and
difficult access to the location, between Palimo and Silimo
villages in the Kurima district, 11,800 feet above sea level.
The preliminary assumption was that the plane made a turn too
early and crashed into the mountain, but official statements on
the cause of the crash have yet to be made as investigations
continue.
The navy plane went missing on Monday while on a flight from
the mining city of Timika in the southwest of Irian Jaya, to
Jayapura, the capital of the province some 475 kilometers to the
northeast.
President Abdurrahman Wahid, who was attending a meeting in
Bandung, expressed condolences to the families of the victims of
the crash after he was told by National Police Chief Gen. Surojo
Bimantoro that all people on board had perished.
Abdurrahman also led a brief prayer for the victims ahead of
the meeting.
Irian Jaya governor JP. Salossa instructed on Wednesday that
all Irianese fly the Indonesian flag at half-mast for one week
from Wednesday as an expression of condolence.
The victims are Irian Jaya Police chief Insp. Gen. FX.
Sumardi, the provincial Military commander Maj. Gen. Tonny A.
Rompis, head of the provincial Prosecutors' Office Bismar Mannu,
speaker of provincial legislative council Nathaniel Kaywai, pilot
Maj. Sutopo Waluyo, co-pilot First Lt. Dedi Haryanto, adjutant of
the Irian Jaya governor's police Sgt. Maj. Jeheskia Z., and
flight technicians First Sgt. Sultan and Ordinary Seaman Gunawan.
Seven bodies were found in the wreckage of the plane, while
the bodies of Sultan and Gunawan were 'hidden' in the tail of the
plane.
Chief of National Search and Rescue Agency (SAR) operational
unit First. Adm. (ret) Sukapdjioto told the Post from Jayapura,
that "Sumardi's body was found at the front of the plane, while
the remains of chief prosecutor and the two mechanics were in the
tail section which fell into a ravine about 75-meters deep."
"The intense cold of some four to five degree Celsius at the
mountainous area plus their injuries made it hard for the victims
to survive," he added.
The discovery of the Navy Cassa U-614 was assisted by a report
from a local child to a Catholic priest living in Silimo, some 15
minutes flight from Wamena, that he had seen wreckage of a plane
on Wednesday morning.
The priest then reported the news to Wamena-based MAF (Mission
Aviation Fellowship) Rek William, who conveyed the news to fellow
pilots Harry Berguis and Thomas Haans, who then flew a helicopter
to the location.
Trikora Military Command Chief of Staff Brig. Gen. K. Ralahalo
said that two pilots could see a broken wing bearing letters TNI-
AL (Indonesian Navy) on it.
"They returned to Wamena and reported to the Search and Rescue
command post what they had seen. Unfortunately the Indonesian Air
Force's Bell helicopters had to halt operations due to bad
weather," Ralahalo said.
Two platoons of Army have been deployed to the location and
will evacuate the bodies on Thursday (today) to Timika and then
to Jayapura.
Sukapdjioto said that if possible, from Timika the bodies
would be flown straight to Surabaya and Jakarta.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting on Political, Social
and Security Affairs in Jakarta, Indonesian Military (TNI) chief
Widodo ruled out the possibility that sabotage caused the crash.
"We always inspect every plane to assure it is in a good
condition to fly. The ill-fated Navy Cassa had also undergone
such a clearance," Widodo said.
In a related development, Irianese students grouped in the
Revolutionary Papua Students Movement (Gempar) in Yogyakarta
called on officials not to make rash comments or speculate that
sabotage caused the plane crash.
"Once Jakarta officials speculate that sabotage was behind the
crash, the soldiers posted in Irian Jaya would translate the
speculation as an order to commit more violence which is against
human rights," he said.
Records
Refuting the possibility of human error both Widodo and
Indonesian Navy spokesman Commodore Franky Kayhatu said that
pilot Maj. Sutopo Waluyo, a deputy chief of Squadron 600 and co-
pilot First Lt. Deddy Haryanto, were both very experienced.
"They had been posted in Jayapura, Irian Jaya, for about six
years," Widodo said.
According to military records, Maj. Gen. Tonny A. Rompis was
born in Lembean, Minahasa on June 17, 1948 and was appointed
chief of Trikora Military Command on November of last year.
National Police spokesman Brig. Gen. Saleh Saaf said on
Wednesday that the late Irian Jaya Police Chief Insp. Gen. F.X.
Soemardi, 52, was one of the best police cadre.
Born in Yogyakarta, on June 25, 1948, Sumardi had been awarded
at least six medals for his loyalty, valor and courage, Saleh
said.
Meanwhile, Attorney General's Office spokesman Muljohardjo
said that prosecutor Bismar Mannu's body would be buried at the
institution's cemetery in Cibinong, West Java.
Born in Bone, South Sulawesi on Oct. 12, 1942, he had served
as prosecutor since 1968. Mannu was installed as the office's
expert for a year in 1999 before being assigned to the top post
at the Irian Jaya Prosecutor's Office on July 28, 2000.
The 25-year-old Nathaniel, was a graduate of the school of law
at the Gadjah Mada University in Yogyakarta. (team)