“We fully support the investigation by the National Transportation Safety Committee (KNKT) to gain a complete picture of what caused this incident,” Air Transportation Director General Lukman F. Laisa said on Thursday.
He noted that the findings will be crucial for improving national aviation safety standards, particularly for helicopters operating in remote or high-risk areas. “The results will provide essential input to enhance flight safety in the future,” Laisa added.
Beyond supporting the probe, the ministry reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening regulatory oversight and safety enforcement for helicopters flying in challenging geographic and weather conditions. “We will continue to reinforce supervision as part of our efforts to mitigate risks and improve aviation safety in Indonesia,” he said.
The ministry extended condolences to the families of the victims aboard the BK117-D3 (H145) helicopter, operated by PT Eastindo Air and registered as PK-RGH.
The aircraft lost contact on Monday, September 1, between 9 and 10 a.m. local time while flying over South Kalimantan.
The wreckage was found Wednesday around 2 p.m. by ground search teams in a forest near Emil Baru Village, Mantewe Subdistrict, Tanah Bumbu District.
“We offer our deepest sympathies to the families of the crew and passengers who died in this tragedy. May the victims rest in peace, and may their families find strength during this difficult time,” Laisa said.
The victims included pilot Capt. Haryanto and engineer Hendra, both Indonesians, along with Indonesian passengers Yudi Febrian, Andys Rissa Pasulu, and Iboy Irfan Rosa. Three foreign nationals also perished: Mark Werren of Australia, Santhakumar Prabhakaran of India, and Claudinei Pereira Quinto of Brazil.
Their bodies arrived Friday at the South Kalimantan Police’s Disaster Victim Identification unit in Banjarmasin. Six ambulances transported the victims from the crash site, assisted by police and rescue teams.
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Translator: M.Harianto, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: M Razi Rahman
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