Smart Aviation Plane Crash: Joint SAR Team Continues Black Box Search

TheIndonesia.co - The joint Search and Rescue (SAR) team is looking for the black box or Flight Data Recorder (FDR) and Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) at the Smart Aviation airline's Pilatus PC-6 Porter PK-SNE aircraft's crash site in Binuang, Nunukan, North Kalimantan.

"We are using a Bell helicopter unit from Malinau to the crash site to find the black box and FDR," head of the Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) Tarakan, Syahril, stated on Monday.

According to Syahril, the SAR team comprises of 10 personnel from Basarnas and Indonesian Defense Forces/National Police (TNI/Polri) personnel.

Meanwhile, another team at the Tarakan post is also being prepared to evacuate the joint SAR team at the crash site, he added, as quoted by Antara.

The Tarakan team used the Super Puma H-225M Reg. H-2207 helicopter to evacuate the joint SAR team at coordinates 27.60" N 115° 56' 32.40" E, with a distance of 98.29 NM, with a heading of 283.44°.

The Kansar Tarakan Rescue Team, Anang Busra Tarakan Air Base, Sultan Hasanuddin Squadron 5, Mulawarman VI Military Command, Tarakan Satrad 225, Atang Sendjaja Air Base, North Kalimantan Regional Police Mobile Brigade, Tarakan Police, and Malinau Police, among others, are involved in the evacuation.

Moreover, the 0907 Tarakan military district command (Kodim), 0910 Malinau Kodim, 614 Raja Pandita Battalion, Malinau District BPBD, Tarakan AirNav, Malinau AirNav, UPBU Juwata Tarakan, UPBU R.A Bessing, BMKG Tarakan and Smart Aviation, MAF Tarakan, Dr Jusuf SK RSUD, PMI Tarakan, PMI Malinau, Bapena PPNI Kaltara, and Malinau District RMPB are facilitating the evacuation process.

"Currently, the weather is reported to be cloudy, with a northwest-northeast wind direction, wind speed of 2-25 knots, and with wave heights of 1.25-2.5 meters," Syahril remarked.

All victims were evacuated and taken to the Dr. Jusuf SK Regional General Hospital (RSUD) for further treatment on Sunday (March 10).

The pilot of the PK-SNE Smart Aviation, Captain M. Yusuf (29) from South Bekasi, West Java, was found alive and the mechanic Deni S, 35, from Pangandaran was found dead.

The two victims were evacuated from the site aboard a Super Puma H-225M Reg. H-2207 and taken to Tarakan.

The plane belonging to Smart Aviation reportedly lost contact after departing from Juwata Tarakan International Airport on March 8 and heading for Binuang, Krayan, Nunukan.