Students, Instructor Survive an Aircraft Crash in Tasikmalaya
19 August 2016 11:48 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Tasikmalaya - Students of PT Perkasa Flight School, Cilacap, twin brothers M Arif Rafidan, 20, and M Fadli Rafidan, 20, together with instructor Yoshafat Lintang Nitibaskara were on board of the aircraft that crashed in a paddy field in Kujang Village, Tasikmalaya, West Java, Thursday afternoon, August 18, 2016, at 3 PM.
The two students and the aircraft instructor survived, suffering only minor injuries. They were taken to Karangnunggal health community center on Thursday evening.
Arif said they were having a practice flight with a Piper Warrior PA28 on Nusawiru Airport-Cipatujah-Nusawiru route. “We took off at 2:30 PM,” he told Tempo at the health center, Thursday evening.
During the incident, Arif said that he piloted the aircraft accompanied by instructor Yoshafat Lintang. The brother Fadli were in the back seat. “The aircraft vibrated heavily and then the engine failed.”
Lintang then took over the controls of the aircraft. He tried to turn the engine over but failed and causing the aircraft to crash. “We couldn’t do anything. Thank God, we survived,” Arif said.
Perkasa Flight School president Septo Adji Sudiro said the incident took place during a flight practice. He has yet to confirm the causes of the plane crash as he awaits the statement from the National Transportation Safety Committee (KNKT).
CANDRA NUGRAHA