Head of the Timika SAR office Zulfikar said in Timika on Saturday that the readiness of Susi Air to help search for the missing helicopter operated by Nusa Jaya exploration company was given by one of its staff members.
The search for the helicopter piloted by Shri Krishnan, a New Zealander, is facing problems due to bad weather in Timika.
The two Airfast helicopters with registration numbers PK DOB and PK-IWU respectively, eventually returned to their hangars at Mozes Kilangin airport in Timika because of heavy rain and thick mist.
PK-ODA left Mozes Kilangin at 7.21 am for Kampung Tsinga, Tembagapura district, with two PT Pangansari Utama employees, Adrianus Amba Sangka and Iyan Timisela, and scheduled to land in Kampung Tsinga at 7.37 am.
The last contact of the pilot, Shri Krishnan, with the Mozes Kilangin control tower was made when the helicopter took off from Timika airport.
On Saturday at 10.30 am the Timika SAR office received a radiogram from the National SAR Agency detecting a distress signal of a Local User Terminal (LUT) of Basarnas (National SAR Agency).
The search of the missing PK-ODA helicopter will be continued on Sunday at 6 pm by using two Airfast helicopters.
PT Freeport spokesman Ramdani Sirait said the helicopter got an accident in the valley of Mil Post 73, Tembagapura District.
Ramdani said PT Freeport has sent out an Emergency & Response Group searching for the helicopter.
ANTARA said from Timika that on Saturday afternoon Security Task Force Commander of PT Freeport Ajunct Senior Commissioner Kris has ordered the setting up of a command post team to search for the missing helicopter at Mil 72, but due to bad weather, it has been decided to build a helipad at Mil 66.
The missing helicopter searching team will involve ERG PT Freeport Indonesia, and military and police personnel grouped in the Security Task Force of PT Freeport.
(Uu.E015/H-NG/A014)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
Copyright © ANTARA 2012
