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Govt to assess airworthiness of old Bell 205 helicopters
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Police officers inspect the wreckage of a Bell 205 helicopter belonging to the Army that crashed into homes in Tamanmartani, Kalasan, Yogyakarta, last Friday. (Tribunjogja/Setya Krisna Sumargo)
T
he government wants to assess the airworthiness of old helicopters owned by the Indonesian Military, following a crash last Friday in Sleman, Yogyakarta, that killed two people and wounded three others.
Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Luhut Pandjaitan said the Bell 205 aircraft, which crashed into two houses in Tamanmartani village, Sleman, was an old helicopter that had been used for decades.
The minister said he had used a similar helicopter as far back in 1978. “We have to reassess the old helicopters. I thought the Indonesian Military commander had grounded the Bell 205,” Luhut said on Tuesday, referring to Indonesian Military commander Gen. Gatot Nurmantyo.
The helicopter belonging to the Indonesian Military was flying from Adi Sumarmo airport in Surakarta, Central Java, to Adisutjipto airport in Yogyakarta in preparation for President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s visit to the province during Idul Fitri.
The Army has set up a team to investigate the cause of the incident, Indonesian Military spokesman Brig. Gen. Muhammad Sabrar Fadhila said as quoted by Antara news agency. (bbn)
