TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The National Transportation Safety Committee (KNKT) chairman Soerjanto Tjahjono confirmed the Sriwijaya Air flight SJ182 that crashed into the waters of the Seribu Islands did not explode before hitting the sea. The indication was evident from the wreckage collected by the search and rescue or SAR team.

“Based on the crash zone, it showed that the aircraft was not destroyed before hitting the water. The plane did not break up mid-air,” said Soerjanto during a hearing with the House of Representatives (DPR) Commission V on Wednesday, February 3.

The team found the debris of the plane with the Ri-Yu logo spread over an area of 80 meters width and 110 meters long, and at 16-23 meters depth.

During the evacuation period, the team collected 68 small bags containing the plane debris and 55 parts of the fuselage including the black box flight data recorder (FDR), equipment in the wheelhouse, the main plane’s wheel, the wing, the engine, the cabin, and the tail.

“These sections represent all parts of the plane from the front to back,” Soerjanto added.

He further informed that the analysis of the turbine condition revealed that the aircraft engine was still on before hitting the water. Other records noted that the Sriwijaya Air SJ182 plane did not experience significant damage three days prior to the accident from January 6 to 9, 2021.

Read: Indonesia Sends Sriwijaya Air SJ182 Parts to U.S., UK for Checks

FRANCISCA CHRISTY ROSANA