Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Tangerang
A Batavia Air Boeing 737-200 skidded off the runway at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport early Friday, after being forced to return to the airport shortly after takeoff. Three passengers were injured in the incident.
""The plane took off from Soekarno-Hatta International Airport at 5:10 a.m. with 127 passengers on board,"" said a spokesman for airport operator Angkasa Pura II, M. Waspan.
The plane, scheduled to fly to Makassar before continuing on to Jayapura, was forced to turn around when a warning light flashed on in the cockpit shortly after takeoff.
According to officials at the airport, one of the plane's rear tires exploded during the landing, causing the plane to skid off the runway.
""Three passengers suffered minor injuries in the accident. Two of the passengers have already been released (from the hospital) and have returned home,"" said the director general of air transportation at the Transportation Ministry, M. Ichsan Tatang.
According to Tatang, Johan Siswono, 53, of Cawang, East Jakarta, remained in the hospital with two severely sprained ankles he suffered after jumping from the plane.
He said 80 of the passengers received ticket refunds, while the rest flew on a later Batavia Air flight.
Tatang said the government had not yet determined whether the airline would be sanctioned over the incident.
All air transportation accidents must be investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board (KNKT) before any sanctions are handed down.
The KNKT already announced its temporary conclusion that there might have been a leak in the plane's hydraulic system.
Tatang said the ministry had temporarily restricted the operation of all Boeing 737-200s, until the safety board's investigation of the Batavia Air plane's hydraulic system was complete.
""The investigation is aimed at determining whether this type of aircraft has some flaw in its hydraulic system. This is for the sake of safety and everyone must comply,"" he said as quoted by Tempointeraktif.com news portal.
There are about 50 Boeing 737-200s in the country operated by more than a dozen airlines.
