Spokesman of the Mimika district transportation, communication and information service John Rettob on Sunday confirmed that the Bell-412 helicopter with register number HA 5113 landed at the mountain range on its flight from Timika to Wamena.
"We have just received a report that the Army helicopter landed at Ombin yesterday evening and is now on its flight to Wamena," Rettob said.
The helicopter left Mozes Kilangin airport in Timika for Wamena at around 03.45 p.m. on Saturday. The helicopter was supposed to arrive in Wamena after 1-hour and 50-minute flight.
The helicopter with five crew members which left Wamena on Saturday was supposed to evacuate the pilot and co-pilot of Susi Air plane which crashed near Saminage Silimo area in Yahukimo district, Papua, the day before.
Informed sources told ANTARA in Timika that the helicopter carried aviation turbine (avtur) fuel to evacuate the crew of Susi Air plane.
The Army helicopter made last contact with the Mozes Kilangin`s control tower on Saturday evening about 15 nautical miles after take-off.
By Saturday, the crew of Susi Air plane had not been evacuated.
On Saturday, a helicopter flew twice from Wamena to Saminage village, carrying eight personnel of the Jayapura Search and Rescue team and aviation turbine (avtur) fuel.
From Saminage, the rescue workers walked for two hours to reach the crash site at 9,000-10,000 feet above sea level.
The SAR team would evacuate Susi Air plane`s pilot Dave Coots and co-pilot Thomas Munk to Saminage from where they would be flown to Silimo airport and later to Timika aboard a helicopter.
The fate of the Susi Air crew is still unknown. (*)
E015/H-NG/S012
Editor: Jafar M Sidik
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
