Aircraft flying very low before crashing: Eyewitness

An eyewitness said that the Fokker F-27 aircraft that crashed in East Jakarta on Thursday afternoon was flying very low over the Rajawali housing complex in Halim Perdanakusuma Air Force Base before it smashed into the houses.

Artha Dima, a bystander, told Metro TV on Thursday that he saw the Indonesian Air Force aircraft flying near to the ground of the housing complex before suddenly disappearing from sight at around 2:30 p.m.

“The next thing I knew, the plane was gone and there was smoke billowing from the residential area,” he said. “All I could see was the plane’s tail wing … part of the aircraft was also strewn about 500 meters from the scene, but I could not figure out which part it was.”

Artha, who works near the Rajawali housing complex, said he was confused by the aircraft’s movement in flight because it seemed far from the runway but was already flying low.

“It was really confusing because the aircraft was flying very low yet its position was still far from the runway,” he told Metro TV.

He added that he saw residents hastily trying to collect personal belongings after several houses caught on fire. A number of fire engines were deployed to the scene and the officers prohibited bystanders from getting close to take pictures.

“I have no idea whether any residents are victims of the accident.”

The aircraft was on a training flight before it crashed into the Rajawali housing complex at 2:45 p.m. (asa/nvn)