Bad Weather, Evacuation Of 2 Super Tucano Aircraft Agencys Completed One Week

Residents are near the carcass of the EMB-314 tactical fighter, Super Tucano TNI AU, which had an accident in Pasuruan, East Java, Friday (17/11/2023). (ANTARA)

Head of the Air Force Information Service (Kadispenau) First Marshal of the Indonesian Armed Forces R. Agung Sasongkojati stated that the evacuation of the bodies of two Super Tucano EMB-314 fighter aircraft is expected to be transported in the next week.

He said that currently the process of evacuating aircraft wrecks is still ongoing, but the process is hampered by bad weather and the crash site is at an altitude, which is about 1,500 meters above sea level (masl).

However, Agung when providing the latest information regarding the evacuation of aircraft in Malang, East Java, said that a team from the Indonesian Air Force did not deploy helicopters for evacuation due to location and weather factors.

"Aircrafts are cut into pieces so that they can be transported easily by road, because air roads by helicopter are not an option," said Kadispenau, quoted by ANTARA, Monday, November 20.

Despite these difficulties, Agung estimates that the process of transporting the plane's carcass from the crash site on the slopes of Mount Bromo, Pasuruan, East Java, to the Abdulrachman Saleh Air Base (Lanud) will be completed in the next week.

"It is hoped that within the next week it can be transported in its entirety," he said.

The location of the crash of the two Indonesian Air Force fighter aircraft is in the Gunung Bromo National Park area, Tengger, Semeru, whose terrain is steep and hilly. The investigation team from the Air Force's Center for Feasibility and Safety (Puslaiklambangjaau) together with the Engineering Squadron (Skatek) Abdulrachman Saleh Air Base managed to arrive at the location on Friday.

Di tempat jatuhnya dua pesawat, yang berada di dua lokasi berbeda, tim investigasi telah mengamankan data-data, serta perangkat VDR/NCDC (video data recorder/network centerric data cartridge) dari dua pesawat tersebut.

The devices that store aircraft technical data as well as video recordings around the plane while flying.

However, Agung explained that the investigation team needed time to obtain complete data from the device containing aircraft technical data (flight data recorder).

"Although the NCDC can be read, specifically the flight recorder from the plane must be sent abroad for reading. For that, we need time to analyze because it must be sent first," said Agung Sasongkojati.

The EMB-314 Super Tucano Indonesian Air Force fighter aircraft was created by the Brazilian Embraer, which includes advanced COIN-capable training aircraft (counter-insurgency) or guerrilla anti-war aircraft.

Two EMB-314 Super Tucano Indonesian Air Force tactical fighter aircraft crashed on the slopes of Mount Bromo, Mount Bromo National Park area, Tengger, Semeru, in Pasuruan Regency, East Java, Thursday (16/11), while they were undergoing a formation training professional session with two other Super Tucano fighter aircraft.

The four planes took off from Abdulrachman Saleh Air Base at 10.51 WIB in good condition.

"This plane is in good condition, the pilots are good, the flight is from four planes with eight crews on board. They all carry out procedures properly, pre-take off, pre-start engines well," said Kadispenau when met in Jakarta, Friday.

However, at 11.18 WIB two aircraft with registration numbers TT-3111 and TT-3103 were lost contact.

The two plane that crashed carried four crew, all of which were killed in duty.

Lt. Col. Pnb Sandhra 'Chevron' Gunawan (Air Squadron 21 Commander) was then in charge of flying the plane with registration number TT-3111, and on the passenger seat was Colonel Adm Widiono Hadiwijaya (Head of the Abdulrachman Saleh Air Base Personnel Service).

After that, the plane with registration number TT-3103 was flown by Major Pnb Yuda A. Seta (Head of the Abdulrachman Saleh Air Base Operation Room) and in the passenger seat there is Colonel Pnb Subhan (Danwing Air 2 Abdulrachman Saleh Air Base).

All the crew of the passengers died on duty, and their bodies were found on Thursday.

The funeral procession for Indonesian Air Force soldiers took place on Friday 17 November. The soldiers received promotions to one level (anumerta), buried in Malang and Madiun.

Three soldiers who were buried at TMP Suropati, Malang, East Java, Friday, were the First Marshal of the TNI (posthumous) Subhan, First Marshal of the TNI (posthumous) Widiono Hadiwijaya and Aviation Colonel (posthumous) Sandhra Gunawan.

Meanwhile, Lt. Col. Pnb (posthumous) Yuda A. Seta was buried at TMP Madiun, East Java, Friday.