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Evaluate your aircraft, govt tells Air Force following fatal crash
Officials recover the remains of the Super Tucano aircraft that crashed in a residential area in Malang, East Java on Wednesday
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Officials recover the remains of the Super Tucano aircraft that crashed in a residential area in Malang, East Java on Wednesday. Three people died in the crash, including the pilot of the aircraft that was conducting a test flight after undergoing regular maintenance. (Antara/Ari Bowo Sucipto) (Antara/Ari Bowo Sucipto)
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span class="inline inline-center">Officials recover the remains of the Super Tucano aircraft that crashed in a residential area in Malang, East Java on Wednesday. Three people died in the crash, including the pilot of the aircraft that was conducting a test flight after undergoing regular maintenance. (Antara/Ari Bowo Sucipto)
The government is ordering the Indonesian Air Force to evaluate its aircraft following the fatal crash of a Brazilian-made Super Tucano aircraft in Malang, East Java on Wednesday morning that killed three people.
The incident was the second crash of an Air Force aircraft in recent weeks. A T50i Golden Eagle fighter jet crashed in Dec. 20, 2015 during an acrobatic airshow in Yogyakarta, killing the two pilots on board.
"Since the accidents in Malang and Yogyakarta happened in a relatively short time, the Air Force must conduct an evaluation of their training aircraft," Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung told journalists at the State Palace on Wednesday.
The incidents also led to a call for a thorough evaluation of the purchase of a military primary weaponry defense system (alutsista) as part of the modernization of weaponry systems.
The Super Tucano aircraft was in the first 2013 delivery from Brazilian aerospace conglomerate Embraer SA that had since been used by the Air Force squadron at the Abdul Rahman Saleh Airport in Malang.
The Defense Ministry signed a US$284 million contract with Embraer in 2010 to build a squadron of 16 Super Tucanos to replace the OV-10 Bronco aircraft, which had been in service since 1976.
Defense Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu said that the aircraft is relatively new, produced in 2003 for a 2010 procurement date, and was in good condition.
The ministry would examine why the aircraft crashed, he said.
"We will look for the cause, be it from the aircraft, the people or other things," he said.
The aircraft crashed on local houses in the densely populated area in the Blimbing subdistrict in Malang on Wednesday morning while it was undergoing a test flight after regular maintenance.
A local resident named Irma Wahyuningtyas, whose house was smashed by the aircraft, died in the location along with another resident named Nurcholis who lived nearby, Antara news agency reported on Wednesday.
The third victim was the pilot, Maj. Ivy Safatillah, who died after being treated in Saiful Anwar Hospital in Malang. His body was found in Karanglo, Malang, far from the location, said Maj. Hamdi Landong Allo, spokesman of the Abdul Rahman Saleh Airport.
Meanwhile, the Air Force was certain that the co-pilot, First. Sgt. Syaiful, survived the accident, indicated by the empty ejection seat authorities found in the crashed aircraft. A parachute was also found in the Jl. Ikan Tombro area in Malang, Hamdi said. (rin)
