Minister Comments on Alleged Trouble of Boeing 737 Max 8
27 November 2018 16:06 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi claimed he did not hear about the information about a new system in Boeing 737 Max 8, the aircraft used by Lion Air PQ-LKP with a tail number JT 610. The new system was said to contributing to the crash in the waters of Karawang, West Java on Monday, October 29.
“I have not heard about it, we will find it out later,” said Budi when met after an event of Road Safety for Women in the Go-Jek headquarter in South Jakarta, Tuesday, November 27.
Budi said the National Transportation Safety Commission (KNKT) was still investigating the tragic incident. The information would be taken into consideration to impose sanctions.
Earlier, a US-based aviation media, Aviation Week, released a report that numbers of the pilot found troubles while testing the Boeing 737 Max 8, and they were unaware of the new system to the flight controls called Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System, MCAS.
Budi, however, had signed a Transportation Ministerial Instruction No. 15/2018 regarding flight safety on November 5, 2018. Through the letter, Budi demanded Air Transportation Director-General, Polana Banguningsih Pramesi, take measures to impose the sanctions.
Three parties would be sanctioned, they were PT Lion Mentari Airlines (Lion Air), related flight personnel, and Boeing Airplanes as the producer of Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft.
When asked for confirmation, Lion Air Corporate Communications Strategic Danang Mandala Prihantoro stopped short to respond, and thus the company would release an official statement in the near future.
FAJAR PEBRIANTO