Rescue Team Finds Missing Cessna Plane Crashed Into Cliff in Papua
Jakarta. The crash site of a Cessna C208 Caravan plane which disappeared from radar screens on Wednesday (12/04) was discovered on Thursday by an aerial rescue team.
The body of the Cessna pilot, who died in the crash, will be evacuated on Friday.
"The crash site was discovered on Thursday at 7.30 a.m. local time by a rescue plane," National Police spokesman Brig. Gen Rikwanto said in Jakarta on Thursday.
The Cessna — tail number PK-FSO — had crashed into a cliff in Anum Hills, over 7,000 feet above sea level.
Three officials from the National Transportation Safety Committee (KNKT), eight from National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) and the head of Tanah Merah transportation agency flew to the crash site to inspect the wreckage.
Another rescue team arrived at the nearby Oksibil Airport for a coordination meeting with the police, Basarnas and the military.
"We will need a helicopter to reach the site, and officers from Basarnas, the police and TNI [Indonesian military] capable of conducting evacuations in difficult terrains," Rikwanto said.
In the afternoon, an evacuation team from Mt. Bintang Police had arrived ahead of the team in Oksibil, reporting that the pilot, Capt. Rio Pasaribu, died in the crash.
"That team was searching for the plane's black box... after placing Capt. Rio's remains in a body bag. They decided to go to the nearest village to seek assistance from local residents due to the hard terrain and bad weather," the police spokesman said.
The crashed plane was carrying 1,225 kilograms of food for residents in Mt. Bintang, a remote area in Papua.
More details to follow.
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