"Based on preliminary conclusion, the crash of the plane which was flying 14 passengers and for crew members to Kutacane in Aceh was caused by bad weather," the minister said here on Saturday.
According to information gathered near the location, when the plane crashed the fog was thickening and the winds were strong with an average speed of 20 to 30 km per hour, the minister said.
He said that the area was also prone to dangerous winds and turbulence that could endanger flights.
"So, our preliminary conclusion is that the plane has crashed due to bad weather. After all, the physical condition of the aircraft was still airworthy while its pilot was also in a fit health condition," the minister said.
All the 14 passengers and four crew members of the Cassa 212-200 plane that in the Bahorok region in Langkat district, North Sumatra, were found dead on Saturday, a rescue official said.
"Based on information received from the field, all the people on board the plane , including the pilot and co-pilot, were killed," Chief of the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) Daryatmo said on Saturday.
All of the dead bodies were found in their respective seats, he said.
The plane`s doors were also found in locked condition, meaning that none of the passengers and crew members had moved to try to leave the aircraft, he said.
However, he stopped short of revealing the cause of the passengers` death. "We do not know whether they died because of the impact of the crash or because of other things," he said.
He said a search and rescue team was trying to evacuate the dead victims of the plane crash.
The plane took off from Polonia airport in Medan, capital of North Sumatra province, at 7.28 a.m and was supposed to arrive at Kutacane in Aceh at 8.03 a.m. on Thursday.(*)
Editor: Aditia Maruli Radja
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