ID :
56067
Fri, 04/17/2009 - 20:07
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://www.oananews.org//node/56067
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KNKT YET TO INVESTIGATE PAPUA PLANE CRASH
Jakarta, Apr 17 (ANTARA) - The National Committee for Transportation Safety (KNKT) has still not decided to send an investigator to Papua to look into the cause of a reported plane crash in the region on Friday.
"We have not made any decision yet. We are now focusing on search and rescue efforts," KNKT Chief Tatang Kurniadi said here on Friday.
A Pilatus PC-6 plane owned by Mimika Air with eight people on board was reported to have crashed during a flight from Ilaga to Mulia in Papua early Firday.
By noon, the fate of the passengers was still unkown.
Hanock Ibo, deputy district head of Puncak Jaya, confirmed to ANTARA on Friday that the plane had left Ilaga at 10.15 a.m. local time, and was expected to arrive at Mulia 30 minutes later.
He said bad weather in the mountainous area hampered search and rescue efforts.
He said he could not confirm the exact location of the accident, although there was a report from a pilot of MAF (Christian Mission Aviation Fellowship) who passed the area, that he had seen shiny objects on the ground which could be the wreckage of the ill-fated Pilatus plane.
According to standing procedures, search and rescuse efforts usually came first before the investigation into the cause of plane crash, Tatang said.
"Only after the rescue efforts have been completed we start investigating the cause of the plane crash. What is more, the condition of the plane in the crash site is still unclear," he said.
Search efforts might be conducted on Saturday (April 18), when the weather was expected to be fine, Hanock Ibo said.
Earlier, the Transportation Ministry said the plane was last detected at around Mount Sinap.
Spokesman for the ministry Bambang S. Ervan said initial information suggested that the plane lost contact at 10.30 a.m.
"Afterwards, the signal of the plane's ELBA (emergency locater beacon aircraft) was detected at around Mount Sinap," he said.
Therefore, he added, rescue workers were coordinating with relevant agencies to find the location.
"So whether the passengers are safe or were killed is still unknown," he said. ***
"We have not made any decision yet. We are now focusing on search and rescue efforts," KNKT Chief Tatang Kurniadi said here on Friday.
A Pilatus PC-6 plane owned by Mimika Air with eight people on board was reported to have crashed during a flight from Ilaga to Mulia in Papua early Firday.
By noon, the fate of the passengers was still unkown.
Hanock Ibo, deputy district head of Puncak Jaya, confirmed to ANTARA on Friday that the plane had left Ilaga at 10.15 a.m. local time, and was expected to arrive at Mulia 30 minutes later.
He said bad weather in the mountainous area hampered search and rescue efforts.
He said he could not confirm the exact location of the accident, although there was a report from a pilot of MAF (Christian Mission Aviation Fellowship) who passed the area, that he had seen shiny objects on the ground which could be the wreckage of the ill-fated Pilatus plane.
According to standing procedures, search and rescuse efforts usually came first before the investigation into the cause of plane crash, Tatang said.
"Only after the rescue efforts have been completed we start investigating the cause of the plane crash. What is more, the condition of the plane in the crash site is still unclear," he said.
Search efforts might be conducted on Saturday (April 18), when the weather was expected to be fine, Hanock Ibo said.
Earlier, the Transportation Ministry said the plane was last detected at around Mount Sinap.
Spokesman for the ministry Bambang S. Ervan said initial information suggested that the plane lost contact at 10.30 a.m.
"Afterwards, the signal of the plane's ELBA (emergency locater beacon aircraft) was detected at around Mount Sinap," he said.
Therefore, he added, rescue workers were coordinating with relevant agencies to find the location.
"So whether the passengers are safe or were killed is still unknown," he said. ***
