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| Indonesian Plane Carrying 54 Is Declared Missing in Papua | Indonesian Plane Carrying 54 Is Declared Missing in Papua |
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| JAKARTA, Indonesia — Rescue teams were searching Monday for the wreckage of an Indonesian commercial aircraft carrying 54 people that was believed to have crashed on Sunday amid inclement weather in the eastern region of Papua. | |
| Crash investigators were also in Papua to begin trying to figure out what happened to the short-haul airliner, operated by Trigana Air Service, after it left Jayapura, the capital of Papua Province, on Sunday afternoon. It was bound for Oksibil, which lies 170 miles to the south and is fairly close to the border of Papua New Guinea, said Toha, a spokesman at the command center of Indonesia’s National Search and Rescue Agency, in Jakarta. | Crash investigators were also in Papua to begin trying to figure out what happened to the short-haul airliner, operated by Trigana Air Service, after it left Jayapura, the capital of Papua Province, on Sunday afternoon. It was bound for Oksibil, which lies 170 miles to the south and is fairly close to the border of Papua New Guinea, said Toha, a spokesman at the command center of Indonesia’s National Search and Rescue Agency, in Jakarta. |
| Tatang Kurniadi, chairman of Indonesia’s National Transportation Safety Committee, said Monday, “We have investigators on the ground now, and more will be going to Papua today, including myself.” | Tatang Kurniadi, chairman of Indonesia’s National Transportation Safety Committee, said Monday, “We have investigators on the ground now, and more will be going to Papua today, including myself.” |
| News service reports indicated that search teams spotted debris early Monday that was thought to be from the missing flight, but independent confirmation of that was not immediately available. | News service reports indicated that search teams spotted debris early Monday that was thought to be from the missing flight, but independent confirmation of that was not immediately available. |
| The plane lost contact with air traffic controllers about 33 minutes after takeoff, said Mr. Toha, who, like many Indonesians, goes by one name. | The plane lost contact with air traffic controllers about 33 minutes after takeoff, said Mr. Toha, who, like many Indonesians, goes by one name. |
| “We don’t know what happened,” Mr. Toha said. | “We don’t know what happened,” Mr. Toha said. |
| The plane was carrying 49 passengers, including two children and three infants, along with five crew members from Trigana, Mr. Toha said, adding that the airliner had been scheduled to land in Oksibil less than 10 minutes before it disappeared from radar. | The plane was carrying 49 passengers, including two children and three infants, along with five crew members from Trigana, Mr. Toha said, adding that the airliner had been scheduled to land in Oksibil less than 10 minutes before it disappeared from radar. |
| Heavy rain and strong winds were lashing the Oksibil area when contact was lost, said Susanto, the head of Papua’s search and rescue agency, according to The Associated Press. | Heavy rain and strong winds were lashing the Oksibil area when contact was lost, said Susanto, the head of Papua’s search and rescue agency, according to The Associated Press. |
| The A.P. said he described accounts by residents of the village of Okbape to local police officers, saying that they had seen a plane flying low before crashing into a mountain. | The A.P. said he described accounts by residents of the village of Okbape to local police officers, saying that they had seen a plane flying low before crashing into a mountain. |
| Mr. Susanto said about 150 rescuers were heading to the area, which is known for its dense forest and steep cliffs, and would begin searching for the plane early Monday. | Mr. Susanto said about 150 rescuers were heading to the area, which is known for its dense forest and steep cliffs, and would begin searching for the plane early Monday. |
| Trigana has had 14 crashes — three of them resulting in fatalities — since it began operations in 1991, including a crash in 2006, also in Papua Province, that killed all 12 passengers and crew aboard, according to the Aviation Safety Network. | Trigana has had 14 crashes — three of them resulting in fatalities — since it began operations in 1991, including a crash in 2006, also in Papua Province, that killed all 12 passengers and crew aboard, according to the Aviation Safety Network. |
| Dudi Sudibyo, a pilot and aviation analyst, and former chief editor of Angkasa, an Indonesian aviation magazine, said it was too early to determine whether the suspected crash was caused by pilot error or bad weather. | |
| He said sources within the aviation industry told him that the pilot of the missing aircraft — whose name he declined to release — was very experienced. | He said sources within the aviation industry told him that the pilot of the missing aircraft — whose name he declined to release — was very experienced. |
| “Anybody who flies in Papua must already be a good pilot,” he said, “because you are flying just like 20 or 30 meters above the mountains. That’s it.” | “Anybody who flies in Papua must already be a good pilot,” he said, “because you are flying just like 20 or 30 meters above the mountains. That’s it.” |