Legislators Deplore Air Force Plane Crash

Jakarta, (ANTARA News) - The news about the crash of an Indonesian Air Force Cassa 212 aircraft on Mount Salak in Bogor district, West Java, on Thursday was greeted with dismay by several members of the House of Representatives (DPR) Commission-I.
They told ANTARA here on Saturday they deplored the Cassa NC 212-200 crash because it was an indication that many military planes and other components of the country`s defense armament need repairing and modernization.

According to the legislators, the National Defense Forces (TNI) needs to modernize its main armament system so it can effectively carry our its duties in maintaining the sovereignty and integrity of the Unitary State of Indonesian Republic (NKRI).

The House Commission-I members who made the statement were among others Theo L Smbuaga of the Golkar Party faction, Mutammimul Ula of the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) faction, Jeffrey Massie of the Prosperous Peace Party (PDS) faction, and Andreas Pareira of the Indonesian Democratic Party Struggle (PDI-P) faction.

"We are concerned and feel sorry about the disappearance of the Air Force plane with 16 passengers including three foreign nationals and several TNI high-ranking officers," Mutammimul Ula said.

On behalf of the House Commission-I members, Mutammimul expressed hope that all related parties including the rescue workers would thoroughly investigate the cause of the accident.

The ill-fated Cassa N212-200 plane, based at the Squadron 4 of Abdulrahman Saleh airbase in East Java, is a light cargo aircraft equipped with facilities for aerial photography and aerial surveys.

The aircraft left Halim Perdanakusuma airbase in Jakarta on Thursday (June 26) at 9.23 a.m. for Bogor for a training mission for aerial digital camera operators.

At 10.38 a.m., the plane disappeared from Popunas radar while it made its last contact with the Pondok Cabe control tower in Jakarta at 10.50 a.m. when it was heading to Bogor.

At 11.10 a.m., the aircraft could no longer be contacted by officers of the control tower at the Atang Senjaya airbase in Bogor.(*)

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PubDate: 06/28/08 13:41