Sept 6, 2005
MEDAN AIR CRASH
What went wrong?
The airline classifies it as take-off failure but says it does not
yet know the cause
By Salim Osman
Indonesia Correspondent
JAKARTA - OFFICIALS were searching for clues to the crash of the
ill-fated Boeing 737-200 jetliner that hit a densely populated
suburb of the Indonesian city of Medan yesterday, moments after
take-off from Medan's Polonia airport, and burst into flames.
INSPECTING THE WRECKAGE: Searching for clues, Indonesian officials
comb through the smouldering wreckage of the ill-fated plane that
slammed into a busy neighbourhood in Medan, setting fire to houses,
shops and cars as it broke apart. -- AFP
It was the second deadly air accident in Indonesia in nine
months.
Witnesses said the jetliner heading to Jakarta in overcast weather
started shaking violently when it reached an altitude of about 100m
and then tilted left before smashing straight into a row of houses
on the ground.
Other reports said the aircraft hit electrical wires before
plummeting into a densely populated neighbourhood located barely
500m from the airport.
But few were clear on the cause of the accident.
'For now we are saying the cause is due to take-off failure but we
don't know yet whether it was from engine trouble, human error or
weather,' Mandala Airlines spokesman Johanese told The Straits
Times.
Some observers said the haze that had reappeared in the nearby Riau
province following new fires in the Kampar regency could have
affected the pilot's visibility.
Both the pilot and the co-pilot were killed in the accident.
But much attention was focused on the maintenance of the aircraft,
which is managed by a military-run foundation that has been forced
to cut fares and services in recent years to remain
competitive.
Mandala Airlines, started in 1969, is considered a low-cost airline
and its 15-plane fleet consists mainly of 1970s-vintage Boeing
737-200 jets.
Observers also highlighted the fact that the crash comes at a time
when airlines have been facing renewed pressure because of rising
fuel costs.
Aviation expert Dudi Sudibyo said: 'Because of the crisis, the cost
of running any airlines has soared and many carriers have to fold
up.'
Airline managements should not be allowed to 'cut corners' he said,
calling for a detailed investigation into the crash.
'My worry is that many of our low cost carriers and budget airlines
may not have a good safety record,' he said.
MOVING THE DEAD: Residents and rescuers moving a body of a victim
killed in the crash of the Boeing 737 in Medan, North Sumatra,
yesterday. -- AP
The airline, meanwhile, strongly defended its maintenance record
and said that the 24-year-old aircraft had undergone extensive
safety tests in June before being cleared for flying.
A Mandala Airlines spokesman said that the carrier had not had any
serious mishap before.
'This aircraft was given a thorough check and declared air-worthy
on June 7,' he added.
Some others attributed the crash to a technical difficulty. They
said that it was possible that the plane was in trouble soon after
the pilot began the drill for take-off but he could not abandon
it.
Another pilot told the news channel here that the aircraft was
possibly overloaded and had difficulty attaining the required
height.
ESCAPING DEATH: A survivor of the plane crash in a Medan hospital
yesterday with his family at his bedside. -- AFP
All eyes will now be set on the probe. The jet's blackbox has
already been found, the head of the National Transport Safety
Committee, Mr Setyo Raharjo said.
Seven committee members are also now on site to investigate the
crash, he said.
The crash, meanwhile, has raised fresh concerns about aviation
safety in Indonesia.
In December, a plane operated by Lion Air, a budget airline,
skidded off the runway in Solo killing 26 people on board.
Indonesia's worst crash was in September 1997, when a Garuda Airbus
smashed into mountains near Medan, killing all 232 people on
board.
It had flown from Medan's Polonia airport when the sky was clouded
with thick smog from forest fires in Riau.
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