The Wife And 2 Children Of The Head Of The Supadio Air Base In Pontianak, Became The Passengers Of Sriwijaya Air SJ-182 Who Crashed

Three Pontianak residents who are relatives of one of the Sriwijaya Air passengers waiting at Supadio Airport (ANTARA)

JAKARTA - Three family members of the Indonesian Air Force personnel who served at the Supadio Air Base (Lanud), Pontianak, West Kalimantan, were registered as passengers on the Sriwijaya Air SJ-182 plane on the Jakarta-Pontianak route which crashed in the waters of the Thousand Islands.

"It is true that three members of the family of Indonesian Air Force personnel entered the aircraft manifest. Her husband is serving at Supadio Air Base, Pontianak," said Head of the Indonesian Air Force Information Service (Kadispenau) First Air Marshal Indan Gilang B quoted from Antara, Sunday, January 10.

The three family members of the Indonesian Air Force personnel, namely Rahmania Ekananda (wife), Dinda Amelia (child), and Fazila Ammara (child). They are the family of the Head of the Logistics Service (Kadislog) Supadio Air Base Colonel Teknik Akhmad Khaidir. Gilang hopes that the Sriwijaya Air passengers can be found by officers.

Regarding the Sriwijaya Air pilot Capt Afwan, said Gilang, Capt Afwan is a former Indonesian Air Force personnel who has been full duty since 1998.

"He (Afwan) had served in Air Squadron 4 and Air Squadron 31," said Gilang.

The Indonesian Air Force itself has alerted helicopters and fixed wing aircraft to support search and rescue operations (Search and Rescue - SAR).

"Helikoter Super Puma NAS-332 Air Squadron 6 and EC-725 Caracal Air Squadron 8 Atang Sendjaja Bogor Airbase and SAR personnel from Korpaskhas have been alerted," he said.

Apart from helicopters, he continued, the Indonesian Air Force also prepared a fixed wing aircraft for Boeing 737 Maritime Reconnaissance Air Squadron 5 Sultan Hasanudin Makassar Base and CN-295 Air Squadron 2 Halim Perdanakusuma Air Base Jakarta.

Sriwijaya Air SJ-182 aircraft took off from Soekarno-Hatta Airport, at 14:36 WIB, Saturday, January 9. One minute later the plane to Pontianak was at an altitude of 1,700 feet and was allowed to rise to an altitude of 29 thousand feet following instrument standards.

"At 14:40 Sriwijaya did not go to 075 degrees but to the northwest, therefore ATC was asked to report the direction of the plane. Not long after, in a matter of seconds, SJY 182 disappeared from radar, "said Minister of Transportation Budi Karya Sumadi, Saturday, January 9.

There were 62 passengers including the crew of the Sriwijaya Air SJ-182 aircraft. Of the total passengers, there are 7 children and 3 babies.

The Sriwijaya Air SJ-182 aircraft had its departure delayed for 30 minutes. The reason was the heavy rain.