TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Indonesian Transportation Ministry on Tuesday responded to news about the incident of a Susi Air aircraft that went off in flames at the Paro District Airport in the Papua Highlands. Ministry spokesperson Adita Irawati said the ministry was currently gathering details about the incident.

“The directorate general of air transportation has received initial information about the ambush on an aircraft owned by Susi Air [with a flight code] of PK-BVY on Tuesday, February 7, at 06:17 Eastern Indonesia Time (WIT) at the Lapter Paro airport,” said Adita in a written statement.

The plane left Timika Airport under normal circumstances at 05:30 WIT and then landed at the Paro Airport at 06:17 WIT.

After a few hours, the Nduga Regency Police Chief received information from the Susi Air Station suggesting that the plane had been burned. “The pilot and passenger are being searched for,” said Adita.

The directorate general of air transportation currently continues to coordinate search efforts with the Indonesian Air Force (TNI AU) and planned to immediately return to the airport to assist the search effort.

The small aircraft, according to Susi Air legal team Donal Fariz, had flown carrying five passengers and a total payload of 452 kilograms. The airplane initially lost contact and only received signals from the plane’s ELT at 09:12 WIT.

The company then sent another aircraft to the airport to confirm the whereabouts of the PK-BVY craft and saw visual confirmation of one of its planes burning at the airport’s runway. “We initially think the airplane caught on fire due to non-technical issues because the plane had safely landed and parked.”

MOH KHORY ALFARIZY

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