With these findings, the focus of the search is directed at the waters of Manggar BelitungJakarta (ANTARA) - The NBO 105/P-1103 helicopter was declared to have crashed in the East Belitung waters on account of bad weather, National Police's (Polri's) Chief of the Public Information Bureau, Brig. Gen. Ahmad Ramadhan, stated.
"We temporarily concluded that the helicopter crashed because of the weather in the Manggar Belitung waters," Ramadhan noted at a press conference at the National Police Headquarters, here on Monday.
This conclusion is based on the progress in search and the findings obtained by the SAR Team and people on the field.
The helicopter, carrying four members of the National Police, lost contact on Sunday afternoon (Nov 27) at 13:45 local time.
The search resulted in the finding of several materials from the helicopter.
At 20:30 local time, one of the fishermen reported that he had found a passenger seat of the helicopter in the Manggar Belitung waters near the coast.
"With these findings, the focus of the search is directed at the waters of Manggar Belitung," Ramadhan remarked.
The brigadier general noted that this morning, at 7:58 a.m. local time, the search team found a body that was allegedly of one of the crew members of the helicopter belonging to the Aerial and Marine Police Corps (Polairud).
"Identities will still be checked because we are still in the evacuation process," he stated.
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He said that the search was underway by the SAR Team from Ditpolairud, assisted by the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas), Indonesian Air Force, and Bangka Belitung Regional Police.
The search was directly monitored by chief of the police's Security Management Agency (Baharkam), head of the Aerial and Marine Police Corps (Polairud), and other officers.
On Sunday (Nov 27), two helicopters of Polairud, with register numbers P-1103 and P-1113, were flying from Palangkaraya to Pangkalan Bun.
The two helicopters carried four crew members respectively: the crew of the P-1103 helicopter, Police Adjunct Commissioner (AKP) Arif Rahman, Police 1st Brigadier (Briptu) Lasminto, Police 2nd Sub-Inspector (Aipda) Joko M, and Police 2nd Brigadier (Bripda) Muhammad Khoirul Anam.
Police Adjunct Commissioner (AKP) Togu, Police 2nd Inspector (Ipda) Rexy Subroto, Police Chief Brigadier (Bripka) Soleh, and Police 2nd Brigadier (Bripda) Erwin were the crew members of the P-1113 helicopter.
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Both helicopters were in airworthy condition. While flying through bad weather, the captain, the P-1113 helicopter's pilot, decided to ascend to five thousand feet. He then took the decision to descend to an altitude of 3,500 feet.
At 14:24 local time, the captain, the pilot of the P-1113 helicopter, attempted to call the P-1103 helicopter crew via its radio frequency though did not receive any answer.
Thereafter, the captain, the P-1113 helicopter's pilot, checked the position of the P-1103 helicopter on the monitoring tower after landing at the Tanjung Pandang Airport. However, it was no longer visible.
Based on data from the joint SAR Team, a body found this morning on Burung Mandi Beach, East Belitung District, Bangka Belitung Islands Province, was identified as Police 2nd Brigadier (Bripda) Muhammad Khoirul Anam.
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Translator: Laily R, Azis Kurmala
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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