"The Air Force will investigate the crash and in the meantime all trainers will be grounded to facilitate the investigation," commander of the Air Force`s Flight Training Wing at Adisutjipto Air Base, Colonel M. Khairil Lubis, said at the crash site, 25 meters from the Progo River in Magelang on Friday.
The Charlie tandem trainer bearing serial number LD 3417, piloted by Captain Ali Mustofa (30), took off from Adi Sutjipto Airport in Yogyakarta at around 10.00 a.m. local time for a routine training flight.
The Air Force would evacuate the 1970-built plane from the crash site.
The trainer`s pilot, Ali Mustofa, was found dead at the crash site.
A National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) coordinator, Prabowo, said the ill-fated plane underwent maintenance before it was boarded by Ali Mustofa.
Debris from the plane, such as wing and rudder parts were found in a paddy field while the cockpit had landed in the yard of a local resident.
Ali`s body was evacuated at 11.00 a.m. local time and taken to the a military hospital in Magelang.
Local residents came to the crash site but police had set up a police line around the crash site to facilitate the investigation.
(Uu.A059/HAJM)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
Copyright © ANTARA 2012
