Air Force Chief Marshal Agus Supriatna: We Need Reliable Aircraft

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The plan of TNI (Indonesian Military) Air Force Chief Marshal Agus Supriatna to officially open the Wiratmo dormitory at Balikpapan, East Kalimantan Air Force Base on June 30, had to be abruptly cancelled. When he landed at Sultan Aji Muhammad Sulaiman Sepinggan Airport, he was given the bad news: a Hercules C-130 transport plane No. A-1310 had crashed in Medan, North Sumatra, killing 122 people, 83 civilians among them. The number of fatalities on the ground could not be confirmed yet.

Initial field investigation by the Air Force pointed to the probability that one of the plane's engines had malfunctioned after hitting a household radio antenna. But information quickly emerging from the public was that the 50-year-old American-made Hercules C-130 may have been the reason for the tragedy.

In fact, it was an aged aircraft that had experienced problems in the past. According to Agus, last year alone the plane had engine trouble three times, but that it was still deemed airworthy, because it was always well-maintained according to guidebook procedures. Before it was flown by Captain Sany Perman last week, the C-130 was physically inspected and found to be in good condition.

Following the Medan crash last week, the B type Hercules aircraft have been temporarily grounded, pending further evaluation of their condition. It will be Agus who will later decide whether they should be retired or reused once again. What is certain, Hercules planes are always needed.

"We have been sending Hercules C-130 planes to natural disasters from Sabang to Merauke. In fact, when we provide assistance overseas, we fly those aircraft too. That's why the only planes we own for heavyweight cargo are the Hercules," Agus told Tempo reporters Isma Savitri, Yandhrie Arvian, Indra Wijaya, Prihandoko and Ridian, who interviewed him at his headquarters in Cilangkap.

The Air Force chief looked haggard from the continuous three-day monitoring of the Medan crash, as he explained the results of the investigation so far and the Air Force's plans to modernize its primary armament system (alutsista).

Agus believes it would be better for the Air Force to acquire a brand-new fleet of aircraft, instead of getting or accepting donations of, used planes. "It's like buying a new car, which can be used for 10-20 years, but if we buy a used one, we don't know its history. Has it ever had an oil leak or other problems?" asked Agus, rhetorically. Excerpts of the interview:

What's the result of the Air Force's investigation of the Hercules C-130 crash?

There's a precedent with another Hercules which crashed at Iswahyudi (air base) in Madiun. But the land there is flat, no mountains or antenna. Our initial analysis is based on temporary evidence. First, that the pilot requested to return to base, an indication something went wrong. Secondly, the evidence showed that the fourth engine was in 'feder' position, or defective. The next evidence was the big broken antenna pipes. So we can analyze that the wing hit the antenna, which may also cut into the propellers.

I believe that every time something happens to engines numbers one and four, the plane tends to speed up. Which means, when the plane still flew low, it lost altitude, hitting an antenna. Then the plane banked sharply, the wing hitting a dome and a roof, then rolled over. Two engines seemed to have been tossed out, as indicated by the gnarled and charred propellers because the engines were still on. From that chronology, we can come to a temporary analysis of what happened.

Why did engine number four stop functioning?

Our team will look into that. As a pilot, I would not want a defective engine, but in any case, they are made by humans, they would always have problems. Actually, there are ways to prevent it, such as by adding speed with two other engines. With Hercules engines anywhere, with its four engines, one malfunctioning engine shouldn't be a problem. It can still land with its three other engines. Any Hercules pilot would know this. The problem is if it happened after the plane took off. It would be very difficult to keep the plane from banking left or right, lacking the speed to take off. That's the experience of a Hercules pilot.

Yet, the plane was thoroughly inspected before it crashed.

Of course. All pilots are aware of the standard operation procedures (SOP). Before flying, he would look at the plane's logbook, the history of the aircraft, whether it ever had problems, whether it ever had flat tires, or whether its hydraulic system ever failed. The pilot would also walk around the plane to check its physical condition. From the logbook and the physical check, the pilot would conclude whether the plane was airworthy or not. Otherwise, what pilot would want to fly it? Are pilots crazy? Every pilot, when he sits in the cockpit, should be sure his plane is airworthy.

Had this particular Hercules ever had engine problems?

If we look at its history, there were some, but they were problems that could be overcome. But with the incident happening at take-off, well, this is the first time ever. There have been times when an engine stopped in mid-air, the most recent one happening in February last year over Palembang. But because it happened in mid-air, nothing happened, the aircraft was able to land with the other three engines. When that happens, that [defective] engine would have been replaced.

One victim's father said the flight his son was on had problems four times within a month.

That's not true. It's true that we've had some problems last year. The one I remember most was on February 25. Another malfunction happened this year,when it was about to fly to Halim Perdanakusuma.

Are the problems caused by the plane's advanced years?

No. If we know the plane's history from the start-meaning if we buy it new-we would know its technical history and we would know how to maintain it. We would note, for example, if the plane had a problem with some of its parts. The danger is when we buy used planes or accept donated aircraft. It's like buying a new car, we would be able use it for 10 to 20 years, but with a used car, we wouldn't know its history. We wouldn't know whether it ever had an oil leak or experience other defects.

When was the last time this plane's engines were overhauled?

If I'm not mistaken, the plane had an overhaul in February 2014.

But prior to any flight, there would always be an inspection, right?

After every 50 hours of flight time, they would definitely be checked out. This Hercules C-130 is 51 years old but still airworthy. That means it's well-maintained according to procedures indicated in the factory's handbook. But the older the plane gets, it takes double the inspection time.

Why would an aircraft over 50 years old still be flown?

This aircraft is old, but it's still needed by the TNI and people of Indonesia. Just look at its history. The plane delivers aid to disaster areas from Sabang to Merauke, even provides assistance to disaster areas outside the country. That's why the heavy-load aircraft we own are all of the Hercules type.

Is the budget for maintaining the Hercules planes adequate?

Admittedly the budget for their maintenance is minimal, based on priorities. For example, we have 10 Hercules planes, but with our minimum budget, priority is given to maintaining only six of them. So four of them must wait for their turn. Our priority is to ensure that the six aircraft can be operated to the maximum.

How much does it cost per year to maintain them?

The cost fluctuates.

Why doesn't the Air Force ask for an increase in the maintenance budget?

That's a question for the Defence Ministry. Every year we ask for an increase, but if we are only given that much, should we keep asking for it? We understand the size of the budget depends on the nation's economy.

Can the maintenance budget be allocated specifically for Hercules aircraft alone?

The budget is shared. Last month, we prepared our RKAKL (ministerial and institutional work plan and budget), in which the budget is divided between fighter jets and transport planes. The budget for fighter planes is further divided, how much goes to maintain the Sukhois, the F-16s and the Hawks. I developed this system when I was chief of staff. It's better to have fewer numbers of aircraft. It's more important that they can be relied on to carry out missions, rather than have many aircraft that are unreliable.

Going forward, what plans does the Air Force have for its armaments acquisition?

We plan to acquire F-5V Tigers as replacement fighter planes, seeking for at least the 4.5 generation type. The 4.5 generation would be like F-16 Block 70 Viper, also the Sukhoi SU-35. Hopefully, we can get them fast because the F-5 planes are already banned from flying. As for transport planes, we have made studies and submitted our proposal to the Defence Ministry. For helicopters, we need the types needed to haul heavy loads for search and rescue (SAR) missions. As for the Hercules planes, we need 9-10 units of them to carry one battalion of personnel. For this, our A400s would be enough. So we buy fewer numbers of the aircraft but with much bigger capacity. (*)

Read the full interview in this week's edition of Tempo English Magazine