Jayapura, Papua (ANTARA) - A Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) aircraft, with registration PK-MEC, crashed into Lake Sentani on Tuesday at around 6:27 a.m. local time after departing from Sentani to Mamit, Tolikara District, Papua Province.

The aircraft crashed two minutes following departure, Commander of the Silas Papare Air Base First Marshal Tri Bowo confirmed here on Tuesday.

A witness aboard another plane remarked that the Kodiac airplane crashed into the lake, some two nautical miles south of the Sentani Airport’s radar.

The Silas Papare Air Base commander deployed a team to the lake area to search for the missing aircraft.

On a separate occasion, Norbert Tunyanan, a representative of the National Transport Safety Committee (KNKT) in Papua, remarked that the ill-fated aircraft was piloted by Joice Lin, a US national.

"The search and rescue team is currently still looking for the plane in Lake Sentani and the surrounding area," Tunyanan noted. Related news: Plane with broken wheel overshoots runway at Papua's Mulia Airport
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Translator: Evarukdihati, Fardah
Editor: Suharto
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