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Version 2 Version 3
Missing Plane in Indonesia Is Found in Remote Area of Papua, Official Says Debris of Missing Plane Is Spotted in Indonesian Jungle
(about 14 hours later)
JAKARTA, Indonesia — An Indonesian spotter plane on Monday photographed the wreckage of a commercial aircraft that crashed in stormy weather in a remote area of the eastern province of Papua the previous day, probably killing all 54 people aboard, an official said, but search operations were halted because of darkness. JAKARTA, Indonesia — Indonesian crews planned to resume their search on Tuesday for the wreckage of a commercial aircraft that crashed over the weekend with 54 people on board in a remote area of the country’s east.
The photographs, which the Indonesian National Search and Rescue Agency released at a news conference on Monday afternoon, showed debris in a heavily forested area of the Bintang Mountains district in Papua Province, said Heronimus Guru, deputy director of operations for the agency. An Indonesian spotter plane located and photographed debris from the flight on Monday, an official said, but the search for the Trigana Air Service plane, which vanished Sunday in stormy weather, was then halted because of darkness.
He said that search and rescue workers had to camp in the jungle on Monday night and would resume their effort to reach the site the next day. The photographs, which the Indonesian National Search and Rescue Agency made public Monday at a news conference, showed debris in a heavily forested area of the Bintang Mountains district in Papua Province, said Heronimus Guru, the agency’s deputy director of operations.
He said that search and rescue workers had to camp in the jungle on Monday night.
“Because of the remote location of the area, we have not yet been able to reach it,” Mr. Heronimus said. “Even local people have never been to this location.”“Because of the remote location of the area, we have not yet been able to reach it,” Mr. Heronimus said. “Even local people have never been to this location.”
Further communications with government agencies were hindered on Monday as the day was Indonesia’s 70th anniversary of independence.Further communications with government agencies were hindered on Monday as the day was Indonesia’s 70th anniversary of independence.
The civilian rescue team, supported by the Indonesian military, was battling through thick, mountainous jungle to reach the site, Zainul Thahar, a spokesman for the search agency, said earlier in the day. The civilian rescue team, supported by the Indonesian military, was battling through mountainous jungle to reach the site, said Zainul Thahar, a spokesman for the search agency.
He said the agency had “detected a signal” pinpointing the location of the missing aircraft, but he declined to indicate whether the signal was from one of the plane’s black boxes or another homing device.He said the agency had “detected a signal” pinpointing the location of the missing aircraft, but he declined to indicate whether the signal was from one of the plane’s black boxes or another homing device.
The missing short-haul airliner, operated by Trigana Air Service, left Jayapura, the capital of Papua Province, on Sunday afternoon. It was bound for Oksibil, about 170 miles to the south. The plane lost contact with air traffic controllers about 30 minutes after takeoff, said Toha, a spokesman at the command center of the National Search and Rescue Agency in Jakarta, the Indonesian capital. The missing short-haul airliner left Jayapura, the capital of Papua Province, on Sunday afternoon bound for Oksibil, about 170 miles to the south. The plane lost contact with air traffic controllers about 30 minutes after takeoff, said Toha, a spokesman at the command center of the National Search and Rescue Agency in Jakarta, the Indonesian capital.
The plane was carrying 49 passengers, including two children and three infants, along with five crew members from Trigana, said Mr. Toha, who like many Indonesians goes by one name. The plane was carrying 49 passengers, including two children and three babies, along with five crew members from Trigana, said Mr. Toha, who, like many Indonesians, goes by one name.
Indonesia has had many commercial and military aircraft disasters in recent years, including two deadly crashes in the past eight months, raising questions about the safety of the country’s aviation industry. Four postal workers aboard the plane were escorting four bags containing $468,750 in government cash that was to be distributed to poor families to offset a rise in fuel prices, The Associated Press reported. The money was from the Indonesian Social Affairs Ministry, Franciscus Haryono, the head of the post office in Jayapura, told The A.P.
On Dec. 28, an AirAsia flight bound from Surabaya, the capital of East Java Province, crashed en route to Singapore, killing all 162 people aboard. In July, an Indonesian military C-130 transport plane crashed shortly after takeoff in the northern city of Medan, on Sumatra Island, killing all 122 people aboard and at least 21 people on the ground in a residential neighborhood. Indonesia has had many commercial and military aircraft disasters in recent years, including two deadly crashes in the past eight months, raising questions about the safety of the industry.
No-frills, regional commercial airlines like Trigana are among the only ways that residents of the region, which encompasses Papua and West Papua provinces, can travel by air. On Dec. 28, an AirAsia flight from Surabaya, the capital of East Java Province, crashed en route to Singapore, killing all 162 people aboard. On June 30, an Indonesian military C-130 transport plane crashed shortly after takeoff in the northern city of Medan, on Sumatra Island, killing all 122 people aboard and at least 21 people on the ground.
Trigana has had 14 episodes — 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, an online database. No-frills, regional commercial airlines like Trigana are among the only ways that residents of the region, which encompasses Papua and West Papua Provinces, can travel by air.
Dudi Sudibyo, a pilot and aviation analyst and a former chief editor of Angkasa, an Indonesian aviation magazine, said it was too early to determine whether the crash was caused by pilot error or bad weather. Trigana has had three fatal episodes since it began operations in 1991, including a crash in 2006, also in Papua Province, that killed all 12 passengers and crew, according to the Aviation Safety Network, an online database.
He said sources in the aviation industry had told him that the pilot of the missing aircraft — whose name he declined to disclose — was very experienced.
“Anybody who flies in Papua must already be a good pilot because you are flying just like 20 or 30 meters above the mountains. That’s it,” he said. “It’s very low, and the atmosphere can change very quickly. Anyone flying there has to know the nature of the territory.”
Four postal workers aboard the plane were escorting four bags containing government cash amounting to $468,750 that was to be distributed to poor families to offset a rise in fuel prices, The Associated Press reported.
The cash was from the Indonesian Social Affairs Ministry, Franciscus Haryono, the head of the post office in Jayapura, told The A.P.