KNKT Studying Evidence to Determine Cause of the Lion Air Crash

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Investigator from the National Transportation Safety Commission (KNKT) Ony Soerjo Wibowo assessed that a commercial aircraft could indeed experience technical failures despite having gone through periodic checks as the Lion Air crash suggests.

“A broken airplane is a normal occurrence,” said Ony at his office in Central Jakarta on Sunday, November 4.

Recent rumors arising among the public say that the fallen Lion Air flight JT 610 that crashed into the waters of Tanjung Karawang on October 29 was due to technical failure. However, Ony likened the case with some automobiles that experience technical failures on a daily basis.

“Cars also experience technical hiccups and its normal. Today a car can have a faulty spark plug but eventually had its batteries replaced,” said Ony.

This is the reason why the KNKT has yet determined whether the tragic accident was caused by human error or the negligence of technical ground crews. He maintained that the agency is currently studying it based on the pieces of evidence they managed to recover so far that includes the plane’s flight data recorder (FDR).

The KNKT will wait for the landing gear and other pieces of wreckage that were recovered by the national search and rescue team (Basarnas).

Meanwhile, Lion Air Corporate Strategic Communications Danang Mandala Prihantoro said that its company always adheres to the standard operation periodic checks that include pre-flight check, transit check, and post-flight check which determines an aircraft’s ‘safe to fly’ status prior to taking off.

FAJAR PEBRIANTO