Tragedy To Tragedy, Promise After Promise To Fix Aviation: What Is The Government Failing To Do?

JAKARTA - The Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan talked about the downing of the Sriwijaya Air SJ-182 plane on the Jakarta-Pontianak route. Luhut said the government would make this tragedy a momentum to fix national aviation needs. The promise we hear every time a plane crash occurs. In fact, there is one important instrument that the government has missed and has not fulfilled.

Specifically, Luhut said the improvements that the government would undertake were related to the aircraft maintenance system. Luhut also appreciated the steps of the Minister of Transportation (Menhub) Budi Karya Sumadi, who he said was quick to respond to the tragedy.

"This is a tragedy, which in my opinion, we will continue to improve in the future, in the maintenance of our planes," he said in an online event launching the 2021 Indonesia Proud National Movement, Monday, January 11.

We remember a similar zeal with which authorities responded to previous airplane accidents. Don't go far. In the Lion Air JT-610 tragedy last October 2018, a number of stakeholders said similarly.

Jusuf Kalla (JK), who at that time was still Vice President of the Republic of Indonesia, encouraged aviation regulators to clean up. JK also urged airlines to have more capable responsibilities.

"We always handle it with good regulations. Second, with, of course, a good system and corporate responsibility, ”he said, October 30, 2018.

Bambang Soesatyo, who at that time was still Chairman of the DPR, also emphasized a similar narrative. Bamsoet - greetings Bambang Soesatyo - urged the government to tighten flight audits and licensing.

Bamsoet also urged airlines to prioritize the safety of aircraft passengers. This requires the role of the government, of course, through the implementation of strict flight regulations and permits.

"Most importantly, this flight is truly safe. The government must tighten flight permits, especially flight permits. If the engine is true, as reported yesterday, there is a disturbance but is still flying, the permit issuer will also be given sanctions if there is an element of intent," said Bamsoet.

Both JK and Bamsoet expressed emphasis when there was no clear announcement regarding the cause of the Lion Air JT-610 accident. Later, the National Transportation Safety Commission (KNKT) concluded nine factors that caused the Lion Air JT-610 accident in Karawang waters, West Java.

One of the crucial points conveyed by the NTSC was "... the assumptions regarding the reaction of pilots made in the design and certification process of the Boeing 737-8 (MAX) aircraft, although according to existing references, they turned out to be incorrect."

This was conveyed by the Head of Sub-Commission for Aviation, NTSC Nurcahyo Utomo, written by the BBC. In addition, one of the vulnerabilities that caused the Lion Air JT-610 crash was the MCAS design which relied on only one sensor. Prone to mistakes.

MCAS or Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System has an automatic feature that functions to protect the aircraft from dangerous maneuvers, such as raising the aircraft's nose too high. This maneuver is prone to causing the aircraft to stall.

"Pilots have difficulty responding appropriately to inappropriate MCAS movements, because there are no instructions in the manual and training," said Nurcahyo.

Indonesian flights are clearly not doing well. Aviation Safety Network noted Indonesia's aviation market as the deadliest in the world for the past decade, 'outperforming' Russia, Iran, and even Pakistan.

In that decade, 697 fatalities were recorded in aircraft accidents in the country, including private and military aircraft accidents. The Aviation Safety Network recorded the two deadliest accidents, namely the Air Asia Indonesia accident with flight number QZ8501 and the Lion Air JT-610 accident.

Launched by Reuters on Monday, January 11, Air Asia QZ8501 crashed in Java Sea waters on December 28, 2014. The accident killed 155 passengers and seven crew members. Meanwhile, the Lion Air JT-610 plane crash in 2018 recorded 189 fatalities consisting of passengers and cabin crew.

The international community has responded bitterly to the Indonesian aviation world. The European Union has banned flights from Indonesian airlines after a series of accidents. The European Union also noted reports of worsening aviation surveillance and maintenance. Meanwhile, the United States (US) lowered Indonesia's aviation safety evaluation to category 2, which means that it was classified as an inadequate regulatory system during the 2007-2016 period.

Regarding the Sriwijaya Air SJ-182 crash, Australia-based air crash investigation expert Geoff Dell said investigators would look into factors including mechanical failure, pilot actions, maintenance records, weather conditions, and whether there was any unlawful interference with the plane. Most air accidents are caused by a combination of factors that take months to conclude.

"There has been a lot of opinion being made about the speed of its final drop. It's an indication of what happened, but why it happened is still in many ways a question. There are many ways you can lower the plane at that speed," he explained.

On a different occasion, the FlightGlobal Executive Editor added that Sriwijaya Air's operational records also need to be scrutinized. According to him, during 2008-2017 Sriwijaya Air had rested four Boeing 737 fleets.

"Due to a bad landing and resulting in the plane out of the runway, including in 2008 which left one dead and 14 injured," he said.

With the complexity of aviation issues, the authorities are asked to seriously fulfill the narrative they throw about improving flight needs every time a plane crash tragedy occurs. Aviation observer, TNI Marshal (Purn) Chappy Hakim said that one crucial context in the effort to improve Indonesian aviation is to tighten supervision.

"I think the regulation is sufficient. Not regulation but supervision. The context of supervision," said Chappy, contacted by VOI, Monday, January 11.

Fundamentally, aviation activities have three principles: discipline, continuous monitoring, and the application of a deterrent effect. These three things must be a cycle that is continuously maintained. Regulation is the foundation. The tool is a surveillance system.

Indonesia has a big hole in the flight activity surveillance system, especially the question of the absent Aviation Council in this country. Chappy explained the importance of the Aviation Council in the flight surveillance system.

"An Aviation Council must be formed. This institution will follow up on the NTSC findings. So that is a corrective action," said Chappy.

The Aviation Council, in its ideal function, is tasked with providing input to the national aviation authority. Not only about commercial aviation but also concerning militaristic air activities to the context of the aviation business.

Looking at history, Indonesia actually had this kind of institution. His name is the National Aeronautics and Space Council of the Republic of Indonesia (Depanri). This institution was formed in October 1993, before being disbanded in December 2014 through Presidential Regulation Number 176 of 2014.