Cargo Plane Missing in Mountainous Papua
Senin, 31 Oktober 2016 - 14:06 WIB
Cargo Plane Missing in Mountainous Papua
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JAYAPURA - A cargo plane carrying four people was reported missing in a remote, mountainous area eastern Papua province, an official said Monday (31/10).
The Turbo Caribou PK-SWW left the town of Timika at 10:57 pm. Sunday for the remote district of Ilaga, but had not shown up after its last contact less than an hour after it took off.
Indonesia has launched a search and rescue operation for a cargo plane that was reported missing in the country’s easternmost province of Papua on Monday morning.
![Cargo Plane Missing in Mountainous Papua]()
Search and Rescue Agency chief, Henry Bambang Soelistyo said the Turbo Caribou aircraft, which was carrying four people, lost contact with ground control late Sunday during the flight from the town of Timika to the remote district of Ilaga. He said no signals have been detected from the plane’s emergency transmitters.
A rescue team has been sent to search for the plane, which was carrying two pilots and two passengers along with goods, including construction materials.
Soelistyo added, however, that bad weather and dense jungle were hampering the search efforts by a rescue plane on Monday. Air traffic controllers established that the de Havilland Canada DHC-4 Caribou aircraft was missing after failing to regain contact with its flight crew for over an hour.
“At (about) 08.30 Eastern Indonesian Time, Ilaga radio operators attempted to contact (flight) PK-SWW but there was no response and assistance has been requested to aircraft in the Ilaga area to spot the aircraft but until 0.920 hours, there was no information in PK-SWW,” Transport ministry official, Bambang Ervan said on Monday.
He said the aircraft was carrying its Chief Pilot Farhat Limi, First Officer (FO) R Fendi Ardianto, Engineer Steven and Flight Operation Officer (FOO) Andi Baringan.
Air travel is an important means of transportation in the jungle-clad mountains of Papua, the country’s most remote region geographically and politically.
However, aviation disasters and mishaps, especially among small aircraft was common in the region due to poor safety records.
Air flight is the main source of transportation in Papua, the second biggest of Indonesia's more than 17,000 islands. Much of Papua is covered with impenetrable jungles and mountains. In the past, some planes that have crashed there have never been found.
The Turbo Caribou PK-SWW left the town of Timika at 10:57 pm. Sunday for the remote district of Ilaga, but had not shown up after its last contact less than an hour after it took off.
Indonesia has launched a search and rescue operation for a cargo plane that was reported missing in the country’s easternmost province of Papua on Monday morning.
Search and Rescue Agency chief, Henry Bambang Soelistyo said the Turbo Caribou aircraft, which was carrying four people, lost contact with ground control late Sunday during the flight from the town of Timika to the remote district of Ilaga. He said no signals have been detected from the plane’s emergency transmitters.
A rescue team has been sent to search for the plane, which was carrying two pilots and two passengers along with goods, including construction materials.
Soelistyo added, however, that bad weather and dense jungle were hampering the search efforts by a rescue plane on Monday. Air traffic controllers established that the de Havilland Canada DHC-4 Caribou aircraft was missing after failing to regain contact with its flight crew for over an hour.
“At (about) 08.30 Eastern Indonesian Time, Ilaga radio operators attempted to contact (flight) PK-SWW but there was no response and assistance has been requested to aircraft in the Ilaga area to spot the aircraft but until 0.920 hours, there was no information in PK-SWW,” Transport ministry official, Bambang Ervan said on Monday.
He said the aircraft was carrying its Chief Pilot Farhat Limi, First Officer (FO) R Fendi Ardianto, Engineer Steven and Flight Operation Officer (FOO) Andi Baringan.
Air travel is an important means of transportation in the jungle-clad mountains of Papua, the country’s most remote region geographically and politically.
However, aviation disasters and mishaps, especially among small aircraft was common in the region due to poor safety records.
Air flight is the main source of transportation in Papua, the second biggest of Indonesia's more than 17,000 islands. Much of Papua is covered with impenetrable jungles and mountains. In the past, some planes that have crashed there have never been found.
(rnz)
