Garuda crash pilot resigns

SMH, February 29, 2008

THE pilot of a Garuda plane that crashed in Indonesia, killing five Australians and 16 others, has resigned after the company issued an ultimatum, his lawyer said.
Police have indicated that Captain Marwoto Komar will be charged with negligence over the crash in Yogyakarta on March 7 last year.
A final report by safety regulators said the pilot was so "fixated" with landing that he ignored 15 alarms and the pleas of his co-pilot warning he was coming in too fast.
Komar's lawyer yesterday said his client has resigned from Garuda. "We regret Garuda so soon giving Marwoto the option of being fired or resigning," Kamal Firdaus told reporters as he and his client left Yogyakarta, where police are continuing investigations.
"Automatically, our client chose to resign."
Komar was arrested over the crash early this month. He was granted bail on February 15. He is believed to be the first pilot to face criminal charges over a plane crash in Indonesia, which has a bad aviation safety record.
AAP

9am with David and Kim

See Caroline talking about air safety here

The Morgan Mellish Memorial Foundation
invites you and your friends to attend an evening
of celebration and fund raising for UNICEF
at the Museum of Contemporary Art Harbour Terrace Bar
Friday 14th March 2008. 7pm till Midnight

Tickets: $120 per head (includes drinks and canapes throughout the evening) payable to the M.M.M.F – please include your name with payment

Westpac Acc Name: MMMF, BSB 032020, Acc 207320.
RSVP: cazmellish@hotmail.com

PBR's last launch of HMS Mellish

Here's some pics from Morg's last PBR launch.

Was a longtime coming but well worth it.

Geoff

Hey Guys.

Well its almost a year now since we lost our boy Morg’s due to that stupid **** that just didn’t do his job properly! For me and I’m sure for you guys it has been quite an emotional rollercoaster coming to terms with the unnecessary loss of such a good friend. So to help close up the wound and say goodbye in the most appropriate way, five of us took a trip from Jakarta down to Cemaja last week to catch some waves, do a bit of soul searching and cast the remaining ashes of Morgan into the surf that he loved so much.

In the true spirit of our typical surf trips the farewell preparation and ceremony was a bit mad and totally unorganized. Over a wicked seafood dinner & beers the night before the farewell ceremony, the boys conceptualized (amongst other numerous and ambitious plans) to launch Morg’s ashes into the Indian ocean by way of a model Javanese fishing boat. Of course we bought a model boat that looked the business but didn’t float upright at first so we had to undertake some running modifications & draw upon the assistance of Ade Rabig (the local surf board repair boss) to source materials & help with the modifications. Upon completing the seaworthy adjustments to the vessel we all piled into our transport & headed off to a specially selected calm little surf spot called Logi (refer pics). Just to make things a little more interesting, as we arrived at the quite little surf spot a thumping great storm hit us with 30 knot onshore wind gusts. But we struggled on through all these difficulties with good humor & launched Morgs back to sea!!

I’m sure he was watching over the 4 days we were in Cemaja & found the whole thing totally appropriate!!

Cheers

Ev

Bail rejected for Garuda crash pilot

SMH
February 7, 2008
Indonesian authorities have rejected a bail request for the Garuda pilot arrested over the fatal crash that killed 21 people, including five Australians, in Yogyakarta last year.
But Yogyakarta Police Chief Anggoro Rahardjo Harry Anwar indicated bail may be considered in the future.
Garuda captain Marwoto Komar was arrested on Monday night, and will face charges of negligence causing injury and death and flying an aeroplane which endangered the safety of people or the plane, when he faces court, possibly within weeks.
If convicted, he faces up to seven years' imprisonment.
Komar's lawyers yesterday submitted a request to police seeking the 45-year-old's release from detention.
"We're going to keep him for the moment," Anggoro told reporters at Yogyakarta Police Headquarters, where Komar is being detained.
"The letter from the suspect's lawyers has been accepted, but bail is not granted yet because we still need him for the investigation."
Komar's lawyer Mohammad Assegaf confirmed that bail had been rejected, but said his client was holding up well after three days of questioning.
"For now, we can say that it's been rejected, but let's see what develops during the examinations," he said.
The arrest shocked Indonesia's aviation community and sparked protests outside parliament yesterday demanding his release.
Komar is believed to be the first pilot to face criminal charges over a crash in Indonesia, which has a dismal aviation safety record.
Yogyakarta police indicated co-pilot Gagam Jahman Rochman may also be questioned again in the near future.
Gagam told News Limited newspapers that both he and the pilot tried to save the flight from disaster.
"We both try, with our power, our best power, to stop the accident," he said.
The Garuda Indonesia Boeing 737, carrying 140 passengers and crew, overshot the runway on landing and burst into flames in a rice paddy field in Yogyakarta on March 7 last year.
A final report by safety regulators said the pilot was so "fixated" with landing that he ignored 15 alarms and the pleas of his copilot warning he was coming in too fast.
Five Australians travelling to Yogyakarta for a visit by then Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer were among those killed.
The Australian Embassy in Jakarta will hold a "small private commemoration" next month to mark the first anniversary of the crash.
AAP

Arrest of Garuda pilot alarms his colleagues

Mark Forbes Herald Correspondent in Jakarta
SMH, February 6, 2008
THE president of the Indonesian Pilots' Federation has condemned the charging of a Garuda pilot with manslaughter, claiming it was the first time a pilot had faced criminal court over an aviation crash.
Dozens of pilots' federation members yesterday met with members of parliament's transportation commission to demand the release of the Garuda pilot, Marwoto Komar, who was charged over the death of 21 people in last year's crash at Yogyakarta Airport.
"I was surprised that he was arrested," said the federation's president, Manotar Napitupulu. "This makes all pilots uneasy." One pilot, Stephanus Gerardus, said: "We reject the criminalisation of this case." Komar was imprisoned after a 10-hour police interrogation on Monday.
A lawyer, Mohammad Assegaf, said he believed the case would be the first time "where a pilot is put in regular court and is criminalised. I think it is improper for the police to use the penal code in this case."
Police have charged Komar with at least four separate offences relating to negligently causing death or injury. One of the charges under the criminal code involves causing death by criminal actions in relation to aviation, and it carries a maximum penalty of seven years' imprisonment. Police had named the pilot as the only suspect in the investigation, but decided to arrest him after hearing his explanation as to why he continued the landing.
The initial Transport Safety Committee investigation found in November that Komar had attempted to land his 737 at nearly double the safe speed on March 7 last year. It overshot the runway and burst into flames, killing 21 people, including five Australians.
Cockpit recordings revealed that Komar ignored 15 automated alarms warning him to abort the landing.
The police investigation has been hampered by aviation officials who refused to provide evidence gathered by the initial investigation, including access to the cockpit voice recordings.
Officials claimed international aviation protocols forbade the provision of evidence for criminal prosecutions because of fears pilots would switch off cockpit recorders if they believed they could be used against them.
However, the co-pilot is understood to have given evidence against Komar, confirming that alarms were sounding and that he suggested the landing be aborted.
Australian authorities have helped the Indonesian police investigation and diplomats have lobbied strongly for criminal charges to be laid.

Pilots shocked at Garuda charges

SMH
February 5, 2008
Indonesia's Pilots Federation today expressed shock that a Garuda pilot had been charged over a crash which killed 21 people, including five Australians.
Indonesian pilots are expected to visit parliament today to protest against the move, and urge authorities to establish a special aviation court instead.
Pilot Marwoto Komar was reportedly charged with six counts of manslaughter last night after a lengthy interrogation over the Yogyakarta crash.
He could face up to seven years imprisonment if convicted.
Indonesia has a terrible aviation safety record with frequent mishaps and accidents.
A week ago a plane hit a calf on a runway in Papua, although no-one on board was injured.
But Pilot Federation president Manotar Napitupulu said it was the first time a pilot in Indonesia had been charged with criminal offences over a crash.
"I was surprised that he was arrested," Napitupulu told Indonesia's El Shinta radio.
"Even when he became a suspect, I was planning to protest, but now he is already detained.
"This makes all pilots uneasy.
"We are planning to go to parliament today to ask them to settle this case in an aviation court, and suggest they form an aviation court.
"He's been charged as a criminal in this case - why didn't they find out why he speeded up. They never looked at why."
The Garuda Indonesia Boeing 737, carrying 140 passengers and crew, slammed hard onto the runway in the central Java city of Yogyakarta on March 7, careened off the end of the runway into rice paddies and burst into flames.
Five Australians travelling to Yogyakarta for a visit by then Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer were among those killed.
A final report into the accident by Indonesia's National Transport Safety Committee (KNKT) last year said the pilot was so "fixated" with landing that he ignored 15 alarms and alerts and the pleas of his copilot warning he was coming in too fast.
Komar's lawyer Mohammad Assegaf yesterday said that charging the pilot would set a "bad precedent" in Indonesia and make other pilots reluctant to fly.

Captain arrested over Garuda crash

Mark Forbes Indonesia Correspondent in Jakarta
SMH, February 5, 2008
Indonesian police have arrested the Garuda captain who crashed a Boeing 737 at Yogyakarta Airport last year, killing 21 people including five Australians.
Captain Marwoto Komar was imprisoned by police last night, following a 10 hour interrogation.
Police in Yogjakarta have now charged Komar with six manslaughter counts, for which he could face up to seven years jail, ABC Radio reported this morning.
Indonesian police were not available for comment, but a lawyer for Captain Komar confirmed he had been taken into custody. Police claimed there was a risk he could flee the country or destroy evidence.
The lawyer who accompanied Captain Komar to Yogyakarta Police Headquarters, Mohammad Assegaf, said that charging the pilot would set a "bad precedent" in Indonesia and make other pilots reluctant to fly.
Captain Komar attempted to land the 737 at nearly double the safe speed on March 7, 2007. It overshot the runway and burst into flames.
An air safety inquiry report into the accident issued by Indonesia's National Transport Safety Committee in November said Captain Komar ignored 15 automatic warnings not to land.
Captian Komar was named suspect in the accident after the report was released in November. He was questioned after the accident by police, but yesterday's interrogation is understood to have been far more intensive.
His co-pilot is understood to have provided evidence against Captain Marwoto.
Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has demanded the accident be thoroughly investigated and those responsible held accountable, a message recently informed by Australian ministers in Jakarta.
Captain Komar's lawyers claim pilots should not have to face criminal charges for a "mistake".
One Australian journalist and four officials involved in a visit by the former foreign minister, Alexander Downer, were among the fatalities when the plane overshot the runway and caught fire.
Police authorities said recently that questioning of Captian Komar was aimed at gathering more evidence to help compile a dossier to be submitted to the prosecutor's office for an indictment.