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Pilot pushed jet to ‘show off’

As search-and-rescue (SAR) teams continue to airlift the bodies of passengers of the ill-fated Sukhoi Superjet 100 from Mt

Bagus BT Saragih (The Jakarta Post)
Jakarta
Mon, May 14, 2012

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Pilot pushed jet to ‘show off’

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s search-and-rescue (SAR) teams continue to airlift the bodies of passengers of the ill-fated Sukhoi Superjet 100 from Mt. Salak, West Java, on Sunday, more clues have been found indicating that its pilot pushed the aircraft to show its capacity to potential buyers.

Confirming Russian Vice President Dmitry Rogozin’s statement that human error may have been to blame for the crash, an official with the Indonesia National Air Carrier Association (INACA) who was on the first demonstration flight of the Superjet on Wednesday morning said that the pilot performed extreme maneuvers to test the capability of the aircraft.

INACA secretary-general Tengku Burhanuddin said that the pilot intentionally took the aircraft through clouds several times during the flight, causing turbulence.

“They wanted to prove how good the Superjet 100 was. That is what people do when they look for potential customers.”

Burhanuddin said that the pilot descended from cruising altitude to “show off” the performance of the jet, a maneuver that allowed passengers to get a closer look at the ground in conditions resembling a conventional landing.

“It was a fantastic ride. As a person who loves aircraft, I can say that I still felt comfortable sitting in the passenger seat,” he said.

Burhanuddin added that the Sukhoi Superjet 100 showed no signs of trouble during his demonstration flight and that it performed better than other aircraft.

“The jet cruised smoother, faster, and with less noise than a Boeing or an Airbus,” he added.

Rogozin previously said that human error might be to blame for the crash.

“Primary expert opinion suggests that the technology worked well and [the cause] is possibly the human factor,” he said as quoted by RT.com news agency.

Several local pilots have questioned their Russian peer’s decision to descend to 6,000 feet from the cruising altitude of 10,000 feet.

On Saturday, Air Traffic Control (ATC) at Soekarno Hatta International Airport, which gave the go-ahead for the descent, defended its decision by saying that pilot Alexsander Yablontsev was given permission since the Superjet was a safe distance from Mt. Salak.

“When the Sukhoi jet asked to descend to 6,000 feet, the plane was above Atang Sanjaya,” ATC general manager Mulya Abdi said.

Mulya referred to Atang Sanjaya airbase, located 12 kilometers from Mt. Salak, considered a safe area for pilots to maneuver.

Meanwhile, the National Transportation Safety Committee (KNKT) said on Sunday that the plane’s flight recorder, or black box, had been spotted although it would take some time before it could be retrieved.

The KNKT’s statement apparently contradicted one made by Gagah Prakoso, the spokesperson for the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas), who told reporters on Saturday that black box from the plane had been retrieved.

On Sunday, the local military commander in Bogor denied that the SAR team found the body of the Sukhoi‘s pilot with a parachute on, ending speculation that he ejected from the plane prior to the crash.

“There was no such thing. This is a domestic commercial flight and not military plane. There was no ejection seat or parachute,” Bogor Military District chief Col. A.M. Putranto said.

Meanwhile, a team of 40 Russian experts equipped with helicopters have joined the local SAR team to assist in the investigation.

At Basarnas’ command center, however, officials have been cautious about Russian involvement.

Basarnas chief Air Vice Marshal Daryatmo said that Indonesia was able to handle the recovery of bodies independently.

“We already have enough planes to handle the recovery. The Polri [National Police] and the TNI [Indonesian Military] are already involved. I think that will be enough,” Daryatmo said at Halim Perdanakusuma Airport in East Jakarta.

Separately, the chairman of the Indonesian Red Cross, former vice president Jusuf Kalla, added that the Russians must operate under the authority of Basarnas.

“The Russians obviously have their national interest at stake here, but that shouldn’t be in conflict with our national interest. The team must work under our guidance,” Kalla said.

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