SAR Team Confirms 8 Victims Died in the Sekadau Kalbar Helicopter Accident

An aerial photo of suspected debris of the Airbus H130 PK-CFX helicopter that was reported missing and crashed during a flight in the Sekadau Regency forest area, West Kalimantan, Thursday (16/4/2026). (Basarnas)

JAKARTA - The joint SAR team confirmed that all crew and passengers of the PK-CFX helicopter that crashed in the hinterland of Sekadau Regency, West Kalimantan, died. A total of eight people were victims in the incident.

Head of Operations Sekadau Police AKP Sugianto said the certainty was obtained after the team reached the location of the helicopter crash in the hilly area.

"All the victims were declared dead," said Sugianto, Friday, April 17 morning.

Currently, the joint SAR team is still on standby at the location to prepare the process of evacuating the victims. However, the difficult terrain to reach is the main obstacle so that the evacuation cannot be carried out quickly.

The search and evacuation operation involved various elements, including the National Police, TNI, Basarnas, BPBD, and fire brigade teams. Local residents also helped by providing information and showing the coordinates of the helicopter crash.

Officers in the field continue to prepare evacuation steps by prioritizing the safety of the team, given the quite extreme geographical conditions.

Previously, a helicopter with the registration number PK-CFX was reported missing contact on Thursday, April 16 morning around Tapang Tingang Village, Nanga Taman District, Sekadau. The helicopter was known to be used for the operations of the palm oil plantation company, KPN Plantation.

Later, the helicopter was confirmed to have crashed and all those on board were not safe. Authorities said they would continue to provide further developments regarding the evacuation process and the investigation into the cause of the accident.