Bad weather forces governor's helicopter down

KUPANG: An Army helicopter carrying East Nusa Tenggara Governor Frans Lebu Raya and his aides made an emergency landing because of bad weather Friday.

"The helicopter is airworthy and we found no engine faults when we took off from El Tari Airport in Kupang."

"It's only bad weather that forced the aircraft to land," Kupang military office spokesman Mastono said.

The Bell 412 helicopter was transporting eight government officials on a 45-minute flight to Kefamenanu, about 220 kilometers east of Kupang.

The aircrew said weather was reported clear before takeoff, but after 30 minutes the sky abruptly became dark and misty, Mastono said.

"As a safety measure, the pilot decided to land on field near an elementary school building," he said. - JP