JAKARTA (ANN/THE JAKARTA POST) – After an intensive four-day joint search and rescue (SAR) operation, hopes of finding survivors from the Smart Aviation plane crash were dashed on Monday when rescue workers finally retrieved the aircraft’s black box.
The tragic incident involved a Pilatus PC-6 Porter, operated by Egyptian airline Smart Aviation, which crashed last Friday while en route from Juwata International Airport in Tarakan to Krayan district in Nunukan regency, North Kalimantan.
Identified by its tail number PK-SNE, the single turboprop aircraft was transporting 583 kilograms of basic food commodities when it lost contact around 8.25am local time.
Authorities immediately mounted an SAR operation involving personnel from the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas), the National Police and the Indonesian Military (TNI).
On Saturday afternoon, the rescue team located the approximate crash site after discovering plane debris and a smoke signal made by the pilot, Muhammad Yusuf Yusandika Kantohe, who had survived the crash.
Onboard engineer Deni Sobali was killed in the accident.
Yusuf was rescued and Deni’s body was recovered, and both were flown on Sunday to Tarakan on the Indonesian Air Force’s Airbus Helicopters H225M, tail number H-2207.
Tarakan SAR head of operations Dede Hariana said in a press release that the evacuation of rescue workers from the crash site on Monday was delayed due to bad weather.
The Air Force’s transport helicopter had departed from Malinau’s Bessing Airport at around 12.44pm, but had to return as weather conditions deteriorated. Personnel of the joint rescue team then contacted Tarakan Air Force Base by satellite phone at 2.43pm to confirm that they remained safe at the crash site.
Once the weather improved at around 2.58pm, the helicopter successfully returned to the crash site, where the SAR team used a rope to load the black box and emergency location transmitter (ELT) to the helicopter.
At 3.51pm, the helicopter evacuated two rescuers, three Indonesian Army soldiers and two officers of the National Police’s Mobile Brigade unit. Meanwhile, an Indonesian Army Bell 412 helicopter, tail number HA-5224, airlifted two other rescue workers.
At 6.40pm, the Air Force helicopter returned a final time to evacuate the remaining members of the SAR team consisting of one Basarnas personnel, two local rescuers and an Air Force Special Forces soldier.
“The SAR operation is declared complete and [has been] submitted for closure. All components involved in the operation will return to their respective units, with gratitude,” Dede said, as quoted by kompas.com.
Swiss aircraft maker Pilatus Aircraft, which specialises in light aircraft with a single turboprop engine, produced the Pilatus PC-6 Porter until 2022.
The aircraft has a crew of one, a capacity of up to 10 passengers or 1,130 kilograms of cargo and a range of 730 kilometres with maximum payload. Known for its short takeoff and landing (STOL) capability, the Pilatus PC-6 is widely used for pioneer flights to remote locations with difficult terrain.
