TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The sympathies expressed for those killed in the crash of the Hercules C-130 in Medan should go beyond mere words. In addition to burying dead crash victims, the cause of the accident must be determined to prevent similar tragedies from recurring in the future.

Flying from Medan bound for Tanjung Pinang in the Riau archipelago, the plane hit the ground two minutes after take-off. The plane was made by American company Lockheed, and was part of the 32nd Squadron Fleet, based in Malang, East Java. In addition to the crew mnd military personnel, the plane now known to have been carrying a number of civilian passengers as well.

Produced in 1964, the plane had flown over Java and Sumatra. The day before the crash, it had flown from Abdulrachman Saleh Air Force Base in Malang to Adisutjipto Airport in Yogyakarta and Halim Perdanakusuma Airport in Jakarta. The next day, it took off and flew to Pekanbaru, Dumai, then on to Medan - before failing to continue on to Tanjung Pinang.

It is still premature to say with confidence that the main cause of the crash was the age of the airplane. Several eyewitnesses reported seeing the aircraft trailing black smoke before crashing. Air Force authorities said it was possible the aircraft had experienced an engine failure. This could have been the result of the age of the aircraft combined with poor maintenance.

The TNI (Indonesian Military) should not be too defensive, such as when it claimed that it regularly maintained its Hercules fleet. It is an open secret that for years TNI aircraft have been repaired using spare parts cannibalized from other aircraft. Indonesia was also once the subject of a US embargo which stopped it from acquiring the necessary spare parts-as a result of human rights abuses committed under the Suharto regime.

The Air Force investigation team must do its work properly. Despite the secret nature of military air operations, the enquiry must not be covered up. In accordance with the 1944 Chicago Convention, civilian investigators such as the National Transportation Safety Committee (knkt)-which usually reports every stage of the investigation to the public-do not have the right to investigate accidents involving military aircraft. But to avoid creating public doubts, the Air Force must be transparent.

What is more, the Hercules that crashed was not only carrying military personnel and equipment, but also civilian passengers. And the accident killed local people on the ground, who were crushed under ruined buildings. It has long been rumored that civilians often use these Hercules planes to travel to areas that do not have good commercial air links.

Although Air Force Regulations state that only close family members of military personnel may travel as passengers in these aircraft, ordinary civilians are often carried in exchange for payment.

The investigation into the crash of the Hercules C-130 must be expanded to include regulations on carrying passengers. The investigators could begin by examining the plane's manifest, the contents of which seem to have been kept secret in the first few days following the accident. A study of the manifest will also show which of the victims were passengers and which were local residents, which will help the government determine compensation payments. The lack of a passenger manifest would be a sebious breach of regulations.

There is another implication of these 'unauthorized passengers': a violation of insurance rules. The Aviation Law states that aircraft passengers must be covered by insurance-which would not have been offered to the 'illegal passengers'. If this is the case, the Air Force could be seen as breaking the law.

Reports of the plane striking a radio antenna before crashing reinforces concerns about possible air safety issues around the Soewondo Air Base. The TNI should take another look at the usage of the airfield, which was known as Polonia before civilian air operations were moved to the new Kualanamu Airport. At the very least, there should be a serious endeavor to remove 'obstacles' from the surrounding area.

Indications that the plane crashed due to mechanical failure must be carefully investigated. The fact that the pilot asked for permission to return to the airfield is an initial indication that there were engine problems. The Air Force must immediately check the airworthiness of all its aircraft, while its plan to withdraw all Hercules transports deserves support.

Older aircraft should be taken out of service. The plan to update aircraft and other defense sssets is a good one. But while revising the republic's meager budget, the TNI should improve its system of equipment operation and maintenance. (*)

Read the full story in this week's edition of Tempo English Magazine