Copilot of ATR 42-500 Plane Buried in South Sulawesi, Neighbor: His Late Attitudenya Was Good Once

JAKARTA - One of the neighbors near Muhammad Farhan Gunawan who was a victim of the ATR 42-500 plane crash, Zulkarnain, said the deceased had a very good personality in the eyes of his family and neighbors.

"If this person is extraordinary in his attitude, it's good for the neighbors, especially the neighbors around here," said Zul when the victim's body arrived at the funeral home, Jalan Urip Sumoharjo, Lorong II, Graha Kencana Housing B5, Panakukan District, Makassar, South Sulawesi, Saturday, January 24, quoted by Antara.

He said that in the eyes of neighbors, Farhan's figure was considered easy to get along with and humble, his attitude was not arrogant to residents and often smiled when greeted by people.

"It's good, it's polite. If we are among the residents, we will correct it, the child is very polite," said Zul, who has been friends with the deceased for a long time.

Even though Farhan's parents are now in Sorowako, East Luwu Regency, South Sulawesi, he said, his figure is considered by residents to be very good to others and respects parents and people older than him.

"Maybe because until now the parents (do not live together), especially his father is far away in Sorowako. But, as long as he is here (his character) his social life is very good," he told reporters.

As a close neighbor right in front of his house, Zul knew the deceased had been around since elementary school, to junior high school (SMP) and high school (SMA) in Makassar City.

"It just so happens that I have been out of the country for a long time, I only got to know him when I was in elementary and junior high school here. From junior high school to high school in Athira (Athira Islamic School)," he said again.

Farhan is known to work as a pilot at one of the private airline companies, Indonesia Air Transport (IAT). The deceased was young and did not have a spouse.

While being a flight crew, Farhan often went home occasionally at the beginning of his work, precisely when his plane was in transit in Makassar.

"As far as I know, I have only been here for three years (as a co-pilot), but not as often, for example, at the beginning (as a flight crew). Now, after flying here and there, it can be two to three months before it is visible," he said.

The deceased was also still single and had no wife. "He is not married, he is still single, three brothers, he is the first child," he said.

"Currently, the deceased's body is still interred at the funeral home. According to the family's information, he will be buried at the Gowa Regency public cemetery, South Sulawesi, on Sunday, January 25," said Zul.

Zulkifli only learned about the information about the fatal plane crash after seeing the news and social media. Representing the neighbors, praying for the deceased to be eased, erased and forgiven all his sins and get a place by the side of Allah SWT.

The discovery of the ATR plane victim

Previously, the victim together with the crew and three passengers totaling 10 people flew an ATR type 42-500 aircraft with a flight route from Yogyakarta to Makassar City, South Sulawesi.

However, unfortunately, before this plane landed at the Sultan Hasanuddin International Airport in Makassar in Maros, the aircraft control tower (Air Traffic Control/ATC Tower) reported that the aircraft lost contact on Saturday, January 17 at 13.17 WITA in the mountainous border area of Maros-Pangkep Regency.

Later, information received by the aircraft was that it had crashed at a coordinate point in the Bulusaraung mountain area after the joint SAR team confirmed it during the SAR Operation.

The SAR operation by the joint SAR team lasted for seven days. The victim was only found on Thursday, January 22 morning along with five other victims who were adjacent to a radius of 50 meters from the initial point of finding the victim, were in a ravine 250 meters below the peak of Mount Bulusaraung.

The results of the DVI team's identification, the PM 62.B.07 number bag matched the AM 001 number identified as Muhammad Farhan Gunawan, 26 years old, with an address on Jalan Sultan Hasanuddin, Malili District, East Luwu, South Sulawesi, known as the Co-Pilot of the ATR 42-500 aircraft.