Indonesia's national transportation safety committee (KNKT) has interviewed the pilots of the Garuda Indonesia Boeing 737-400 that ran off the end of a runway yesterday and burst into flames, killing at least 21 people.
The newly appointed chairman of the KNKT, Tatang Kurniadi, said in an interview that 21 people are confirmed dead, “two are still yet to be identified” and dozens of injured are now in hospital.
There were 140 people on board the aircraft including 133 passengers and seven crew, says Kurniadi. Yesterday government officials said 49 people had been killed but they later revised the death toll downwards.
The pilots survived the crash but investigators only interviewed them briefly yesterday because they are undergoing psychological counselling.
Yesterday’s accident occurred at approximately 07:00 when the Garuda 737-400 landed at Yogyakarta airport. Kurniadi says the aircraft touched down on the runway but failed to stop and went off the end.
Pictures taken soon after the crash show the aircraft lying in a rice field and its wreckage engulfed in flames.
Kurniadi says the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder have been recovered and are being sent to the Australian Transportation Safety Bureau (ATSB) for analysis.
Representatives from Boeing have also joined the KNKT's investigation team, says Kurniadi, who is personally heading the investigation.
Kurniadi was appointed head of the KNKT only two days ago and was previously the Indonesian Air Force’s chief of flight safety. He replaced Setyo Rahardjo.
Setyo confirmed to Flight earlier today that he has left the KNKT but says he will continue to be involved in the transport sector because he remains commissioner of one of the country’s shipping lines.
Indonesia’s transport minister, Hatta Rajasa, announced the KNKT leadership change two days ago when he also disclosed the appointment of Tri Suriadjie Sunoko as air transport director at the Directorate General Air Communications (DGAC). The DGAC has more than one air transport director.
The minister also disclosed that Herry Bakti S Gumay is the new administrator of Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta airport.
Indonesia’s transport minister is under enormous political pressure at the moment to fix the country’s transport woes. Yesterday’s crash is the fourth commercial aircraft accident in as many months, while there have also been fatal ferry accidents.
Australian television news network Channel 7 has broadcast pictures of one of the victims, Sydney Morning Herald journalist Cynthia Banham being airlifted to a burns unit in Perth. Watch it below, or click her to see it hosted from the Sydney Morning Herald's website.
Source: FlightGlobal.com