Indonesian aircraft with 54 on board missing in Papua region: Officials

[Darkknight666]

Tragic

RIP to those who lost their lives. Asia really needs to work harder to insure their airlines are safe. Corruption seems to be rife in 2015.

[Steve DaPilot]

Not Military...a charter (on-demand) airline. Just speculating but maybe related to the huge Oksibil mining operation. Not much else there...

[tigermonkey]

For a load of current info check the following site: http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=20150816-0

interesting. It seems the aircraft had 6 fairly serious incidents in its history, before being sold to its current owner 10 years ago. Is this normal for a single aircraft to have this many incidents?

Not all of the bad safety records are in Asia. The aircraft in question previously belonged to Trans States Airline, which is where the incidents occurred. Trans States and its sister airline Go Jet are United States regional carriers which have a checkered history of bad maintenance, including a $2.5 million fine from the FAA for Maintenance irregularities a couple of years ago. Trans States' is most famous for its chief pilot trying to take of from Washington's Dulles Airport with only one jet engine operating - he was stopped near the runway.

[geriatrickid]

Let's hope they managed to put it down somewhere.

As reported, the location is a mountain ridge about 3.5nm southwest of Ambisibil and 15nm northwest of Oksibil.

One does not intentionally "put" a jet aircraft "down" in a mountainous jungle area.

[Postmaster]

Indonesia yet again. Poor souls. So sad. Flown near that area with Lion Air from Denpasser, Bali. The weather is so bad in Indonesia rains nearly every day, poor visibility.

I hope they find survivors though unlikely. Garuda now advertising as the ' Most Improved Airline' The bucket shop airlines, well, the mind boggles.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

If memory serves, Indonesia is one of the relatively few well-known countries (as opposed to obscure ones) that are on the U.S. FAA's Category 2 list, meaning the country's aviation network had been judged to be below acceptable standards and thus the country's airlines are not allowed to add or change any service to the U.S.

That's where Thailand is potentially headed in the coming months, though Thai Air's recent announcement that is plans to halt its last remaining route to the U.S. (Los Angeles) somewhat mitigates the impact of any such future FAA ruling, aside from potential embarrassment.

[NeverSure]

A up close photo of the airline's plane that was flying is at: http://aviation-safety.net/photos/displayphoto.php?id=20150816-0&vnr=1&kind=PC

So why have we got a completely different plane in post13.Even down to jet engines instead of props !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Neither, including the one with props is a Hercules as reported either but I guess they'll get all of that sorted.

[yuv06]

Indonesia has a really bad track record for air safety.

http://www.dw.com/en/analyst-indonesia-has-a-poor-air-safety-record/a-18155440

That is why I have always wondered why the FAA is picking on Thailand instead of investigating Indonesia

[Maestro]

A up close photo of the airline's plane that was flying is at: http://aviation-safety.net/photos/displayphoto.php?id=20150816-0&vnr=1&kind=PC

So why have we got a completely different plane in post13.Even down to jet engines instead of props !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Obviously because of an error.

The photo in the linked article in post #13 shows the correct plane, a twin engine turboprop ATR42-300.

[Maestro]

A up close photo of the airline's plane that was flying is at: http://aviation-safety.net/photos/displayphoto.php?id=20150816-0&vnr=1&kind=PC

So why have we got a completely different plane in post13.Even down to jet engines instead of props !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Neither, including the one with props is a Hercules as reported either but I guess they'll get all of that sorted.

The photo linked to by ThaiWest has the registration PK-YRN and this aircraft is an ATR42-300. Post #5 quotes the Insonesion Transportation Minister as saying that the crashed plane is an ATR42-300.

[Scott]

Off-topic posts and replies removed.

[fareastguy]

Oh not again. I hope they are ok.

I’d say that was a bit on the optimistic side!!!

[webfact]

Indonesia rescuers head to mountains in missing plane search
By NINIEK KARMINI

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — An airliner carrying 54 people went missing Sunday during a short flight in bad weather in Indonesia's mountainous easternmost province of Papua, and rescuers were heading to an area where villagers reported seeing a plane crash into a mountain, officials said.

The Trigana Air Service plane was flying from Papua's provincial capital, Jayapura, to the Papua city of Oksibil when it lost contact with Oksibil's airport, said Transportation Ministry spokesman Julius Barata. There was no indication that the pilot had made a distress call, he said.

The ATR42-300 twin turboprop plane was carrying 49 passengers and five crew members on the scheduled 42-minute journey, Barata said. Five children, including two infants, were among the passengers.

Local media reports said all the passengers are Indonesians. The airline did not immediately release a passenger manifest.

Oksibil, which is about 280 kilometers (175 miles) south of Jayapura, was experiencing heavy rain, strong winds and fog when the plane lost contact with the airport minutes before it was scheduled to land, said Susanto, the head of Papua's search and rescue agency.

Residents of Okbape village in Papua's Bintang district told local police that they saw a plane flying low before crashing into a mountain, said Susanto, who like many Indonesians goes by one name. He said about 150 rescuers were heading to the remote area, which is known for its dense forest and steep cliffs, and would begin searching for the plane early Monday.

Okbape is about 24 kilometers (15 miles) west of Oksibil.

At a news conference Sunday night at the transport ministry in Jakarta, officials said they would not have any details on the villagers' report until rescuers reach the area.

"We are now working closely with the National Search and Rescue Agency to find the plane," said Transport Minister Ignasius Jonan.

A plane was sent Sunday to look for the missing airliner, but the search was suspended due to darkness and limited visibility and will resume Monday morning, Susanto said.

Much of Papua is covered with impenetrable jungles and mountains. Some planes that have crashed there in the past have never been found.

Dudi Sudibyo, an aviation analyst, said that Papua is a particularly dangerous place to fly because of its mountainous terrain and rapidly changing weather patterns. "I can say that a pilot who is capable of flying there will be able to fly an aircraft in any part of the world," he said.

European plane maker ATR said in a statement late Sunday that it "acknowledges the reported loss of contact" with the Trigana flight "and is standing by to support the relevant aviation authorities." An ATR spokesman would not comment further.

ATR, based in Toulouse, France, is a leading maker of regional planes with 90 seats or less.

Indonesia has had its share of airline woes in recent years. The sprawling archipelago nation of 250 million people and some 17,000 islands is one of Asia's most rapidly expanding airline markets, but is struggling to provide enough qualified pilots, mechanics, air traffic controllers and updated airport technology to ensure safety.

From 2007 to 2009, the European Union barred Indonesian airlines from flying to Europe because of safety concerns.

Last December, all 162 people aboard an AirAsia jet were killed when the plane plummeted into the Java Sea as it ran into stormy weather on its way from Surabaya, Indonesia's second-largest city, to Singapore.

That disaster was one of five suffered by Asian carriers in a 12-month span, including Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, which went missing in March 2014 with 239 people aboard during a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.

Trigana Air Service, which commenced operations in 1991, had 22 aircraft as of December 2013 and flies to 21 destinations in Indonesia.
___

Associated Press writers Ali Kotarumalos and Angela Charlton in Paris contributed to this report.


-- (c) Associated Press 2015-08-17

[xjbond]

Indonesia has a really bad track record for air safety.

http://www.dw.com/en/analyst-indonesia-has-a-poor-air-safety-record/a-18155440

That lack of safety was made painfully aware to me when my Indonesian assistant and I crisscrossed the islands (by air), 10years ago.

[canopus1969]

I think I will give that airline a miss !!

Trigana Air has had 14 serious incidents since it began operations in 1991, losing 10 aircraft in the process, according to the Aviation Safety Network.

[sammygood]

statistics say, more plane crashes on the way, they never happen in one's

[yuv06]

Indonesia plane wreckage found

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/indonesia-plane-wreckage-found/ar-BBlMLZ2?ocid=iehp

[kannot]

Air Safety needs to be scrutinised & controlled much more thoroughly throughout Asia in General

Its a known fact Buddha and God will save you..............except all those times when they dont, then he "works in mysterious ways" or it was just your "time to die" so you can choose an eternal heaven or hell or being reborn to die again and again and again, no thats way easier than correct maintenance and training isnt it?

[yuv06]

Air Safety needs to be scrutinised & controlled much more thoroughly throughout Asia in General

Its a known fact Buddha and God will save you..............except all those times when they dont, then he "works in mysterious ways" or it was just your "time to die" so you can choose an eternal heaven or hell or being reborn to die again and again and again, no thats way easier than correct maintenance and training isnt it?

It's like the missing MH370 plane it is BS I used to have a friend that works at the control tower in Suvanarbhumi Airport and they can see planes taking off from Malaysian Airports

[yuv06]

Indonesian plane was transporting about 6.5 billion rupiah ($470,000) in cash: official

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/breakingnews/Indonesian-plane-was-transporting-about-6-5-billio-30266730.html?

[Srikcir]

Air Safety needs to be scrutinised & controlled much more thoroughly throughout Asia in General

Its a known fact Buddha and God will save you..............except all those times when they dont, then he "works in mysterious ways" or it was just your "time to die" so you can choose an eternal heaven or hell or being reborn to die again and again and again, no thats way easier than correct maintenance and training isnt it?

It's like the missing MH370 plane it is BS I used to have a friend that works at the control tower in Suvanarbhumi Airport and they can see planes taking off from Malaysian Airports

They can see planes taking off from Malaysia airports because of the aircraft TRANSPONDERS.

TAS did not have transponder in its downed aircraft; thus, they would not be seen by any air controller except by radar. Even with radar the aircraft would be only recognized as "unidentified." Because the crashed aircraft had no transponder, rescue elements were significantly delayed in locating the aircraft's location.

[yuv06]

Air Safety needs to be scrutinised & controlled much more thoroughly throughout Asia in General

Its a known fact Buddha and God will save you..............except all those times when they dont, then he "works in mysterious ways" or it was just your "time to die" so you can choose an eternal heaven or hell or being reborn to die again and again and again, no thats way easier than correct maintenance and training isnt it?

It's like the missing MH370 plane it is BS I used to have a friend that works at the control tower in Suvanarbhumi Airport and they can see planes taking off from Malaysian Airports

They can see planes taking off from Malaysia airports because of the aircraft TRANSPONDERS.

TAS did not have transponder in its downed aircraft; thus, they would not be seen by any air controller except by radar. Even with radar the aircraft would be only recognized as "unidentified." Because the crashed aircraft had no transponder, rescue elements were significantly delayed in locating the aircraft's location.

Yeah but I thought that you will be able to see an unidentified plane flying back across Malaysia to the Andaman

[Tywais]

17/08 12:08

Rescue officials confirm search plane has spotted wreckage of missing Indonesian passenger plane carrying 54 people - @AP Airlive.net

[Dumbastheycome]

Indonesia does indead have a very visible poor record for air accidents. And indeed it is because of the proliferation of very old aircraft used for the inevitable island hopping flights between the multitude of islands that Indonesia is comprised of. Overthe last two decades I have flown on many such flights within Indonesia.

But to be honest I would prefer flying than embarking on the same journey by sea in a rusting hulk ferry that has more dubious scrap value than a creaking old turbo prop aircraft!

But in neither case do I expect the standards of the west in a developing country that the west willingly sells aircraft to in the knowledge those aircraft are past used by date!