Mark Forbes in Yogyakarta
SMH, September 16, 2008
TALES of flames and pain flowed in a Yogyakarta courtroom yesterday as witnesses and survivors recounted last year's Garuda plane crash during the trial of the pilot Marwoto Komar.
A softly spoken rice farmer, Mr Sarwandi, spoke of seeing the Boeing 737 hurtling towards the end of the runway, before crashing through an airport fence and ploughing into his paddy field, stopping just 50 metres away.
The 37-year-old denies being a hero, but he ran towards the exploding wreckage to help. There he found the Herald's Cynthia Banham, her back broken and legs badly burned.
"She was mumbling, like in real pain," Mr Sarwandi said. "I saw her already laying on the rice field, so I dragged her away to a place far from the plane and then others helped her."
Mr Sarwandi returned three times to pull away less badly injured passengers, before officials ordered him to move to a safer place. The jet was unbalanced, moving "very fast" and appeared to be accelerating towards the end of the runway, he said.
Wearing his Garuda uniform, gold epaulets and winged pilot badge, Captain Komar sat beside his lawyers and aggressively cross-examined the rice farmer. Captain Komar said Mr Sarwandi lived too close to the airport: "Do you know that the location is actually prohibited for living?"
Mr Sarwandi replied he had permission from the airport authority, before one of Captain Komar's lawyers berated him about minor differences in his testimony and police statement - taken over a year ago.
A passenger, and professor of criminology at University of Indonesia, Adrianus Meliala, was given more respectful treatment. The plane was speeding and bouncing around on approach, but there was no warning of an emergency landing, he told the court. "The plane hit the runway but then it went up again. So I thought it wanted to fly again but then it went down again. It happened three times, but the third was the hardest. I was pushed to the front until my face hit the back side of the front seat and it broke my nose.
"People were in panic, they started running here and there," Professor Meliala said. "Some people were stepped on. I saw a queue at the left door but almost nobody at the right door.
"When I was in front of the right door I understood why nobody wanted to go from there, it was on fire. But then I decided to jump on the burning wing to slide down to the paddy field because the field has water."
The paddy water doused the flames, but Professor Meliala sustained second-degree burns to 70 per cent of his body.
Outside the plane several Garuda crew stood or sat. None offered assistance, he said. When the fire brigade arrived, it could not cross a fence line and its water spray failed to reach the burning plane, Professor Meliala said.
The hearing into the crash, which killed 21 people including five Australians, continues next week. Key witnesses, including the co-pilot who told Captain Komar to abort the landing, will appear later this month.
Captain Komar faces a potential life sentence for deliberately crashing the plane, or a shorter jail term if found guilty of negligent manslaughter. Pilot groups are opposing the case, claiming it is the first time a commercial pilot has faced criminal charges.
Air-safety investigators found the plane landed at nearly twice the safe speed, despite at least 15 cockpit alarms warning the pilot to pull up.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Monday, August 11, 2008
Pilot denies deliberately crashing
SMH, August 11, 2008
An Indonesian pilot pleaded not guilty today to deliberately crashing a passenger jet last year, killing 21 people including five Australians.
"It is impossible that with experience of 22 years as a pilot I would deliberately crash the plane," Marwoto Komar told a district court in Yogyakarta, Central Java.
"I didn't have any intention to carelessly do things to harm the passengers," he said, wearing his pilot's uniform.
With his voice trembling, he added: "God please allow me to fly again."
A government probe found Komar ignored 15 automated cockpit warnings not to land as he brought the plane in at roughly twice the safe speed, causing the jet to bounce and burst into flames in ricefields.
The four Australian government officials and journalist killed were following a visit by then Australian foreign minister Alexander Downer, who was on a separate plane.
Prosecutors last month charged Komar with three counts of negligence and one count of "deliberately" destroying or damaging an aircraft causing death, charges that carry a maximum sentence of life in prison.
Komar has had his pilot's licence suspended. He was sacked by Garuda in February.
Indonesia, which relies heavily on air links across the archipelago, has one of Asia's worst air safety records.
An Indonesian pilot pleaded not guilty today to deliberately crashing a passenger jet last year, killing 21 people including five Australians.
"It is impossible that with experience of 22 years as a pilot I would deliberately crash the plane," Marwoto Komar told a district court in Yogyakarta, Central Java.
"I didn't have any intention to carelessly do things to harm the passengers," he said, wearing his pilot's uniform.
With his voice trembling, he added: "God please allow me to fly again."
A government probe found Komar ignored 15 automated cockpit warnings not to land as he brought the plane in at roughly twice the safe speed, causing the jet to bounce and burst into flames in ricefields.
The four Australian government officials and journalist killed were following a visit by then Australian foreign minister Alexander Downer, who was on a separate plane.
Prosecutors last month charged Komar with three counts of negligence and one count of "deliberately" destroying or damaging an aircraft causing death, charges that carry a maximum sentence of life in prison.
Komar has had his pilot's licence suspended. He was sacked by Garuda in February.
Indonesia, which relies heavily on air links across the archipelago, has one of Asia's worst air safety records.
Friday, July 25, 2008
Yogyakarta crash pilot dreams of flying again
Mark Forbes Herald Correspondent in Denpasar
SMH July 25, 2008
A PILOT who failed to follow landing procedures and ignored his co-pilot's plea to abort, with their Boeing 737 "running wild", wants to fly again despite facing criminal negligence charges over the deaths of 21 people.
Marwoto Komar appeared in his full Garuda pilot's uniform at Sleman District Court yesterday, although he was sacked and his pilot's licence suspended after the crash in Yogyakarta in March 2007.
Telling reporters he felt a "deep mourning" for the families of the victims - who included five Australians - Komar said he wore the uniform because "I am a pilot". Asked if he hoped to fly again, he replied: "Of course, that is my life."
Prosecutors charged Komar with three counts of negligence and one of deliberately destroying or damaging an aircraft causing death, which carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
Komar refused to comment on the accident, in which the jet touched down at nearly double the safe speed, crashed through the airport's fence and caught fire.
The prosecutor Mudim Aristo told a five-judge panel that Komar had ignored the landing calculations of his co-pilot, Gagam Rahman, then ignored repeated automated warnings to abort. "He deliberately force-landed the plane by diving down in a steep manner until the ground proximity warning system gave off a signal 'sink rate, whoop, whoop, pull up'," Mr Aristo said.
Komar had ignored a further 14 warnings and brought the plane into the sharp dive before overshooting the runway, he said.
■ AAP reports that the European Union has continued its ban on all Indonesian airlines flying into its air space because of safety concerns.
with Karuni Rompies
SMH July 25, 2008
A PILOT who failed to follow landing procedures and ignored his co-pilot's plea to abort, with their Boeing 737 "running wild", wants to fly again despite facing criminal negligence charges over the deaths of 21 people.
Marwoto Komar appeared in his full Garuda pilot's uniform at Sleman District Court yesterday, although he was sacked and his pilot's licence suspended after the crash in Yogyakarta in March 2007.
Telling reporters he felt a "deep mourning" for the families of the victims - who included five Australians - Komar said he wore the uniform because "I am a pilot". Asked if he hoped to fly again, he replied: "Of course, that is my life."
Prosecutors charged Komar with three counts of negligence and one of deliberately destroying or damaging an aircraft causing death, which carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
Komar refused to comment on the accident, in which the jet touched down at nearly double the safe speed, crashed through the airport's fence and caught fire.
The prosecutor Mudim Aristo told a five-judge panel that Komar had ignored the landing calculations of his co-pilot, Gagam Rahman, then ignored repeated automated warnings to abort. "He deliberately force-landed the plane by diving down in a steep manner until the ground proximity warning system gave off a signal 'sink rate, whoop, whoop, pull up'," Mr Aristo said.
Komar had ignored a further 14 warnings and brought the plane into the sharp dive before overshooting the runway, he said.
■ AAP reports that the European Union has continued its ban on all Indonesian airlines flying into its air space because of safety concerns.
with Karuni Rompies
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Garuda pilot charged with causing crash
The Age July 24 2008
A Garuda pilot has been formally charged with deliberately causing a passenger plane to crash in Indonesia, killing 21 people including five Australians.
Captain Marwoto Komar, 46, was charged on Thursday at the opening of his trial at Yogyakarta in central Java, where the 21 victims lost their lives on March 7 last year.
Komar fronted the Slemen District Court in his pilot's uniform, despite resigning from Garuda after the airline gave him an ultimatum following the crash.
A copy of an indictment to be read to the court on Thursday says Komar ignored 15 alarms to abort the landing of the Boeing 737 at Yogyakarta's Adi Sucipto Airport.
It says co-pilot Gagam Samam Rohmana had calculated the plane should land at a speed of 140 knots, but when the aircraft hit the runway it was going at 240 knots.
Komar also ignored the pleas of Rohmana not to proceed with the landing, it says.
"The defendant deliberately forced the landing by putting the nose of the Garuda Boeing 737 ... steeply down, so that the ground proximity warning system gave the signal 'whoop whoop, pull up'," the indictment says.
"The (co-pilot) looked or stared to the left at the defendant but the defendant didn't try to lift up the plane or cancel the landing, or go around.
"The defendant didn't try to pull the control column or the plane's steering mechanism ... the defendant only wanted to reach the runway by making the plane dive extremely."
The ground proximity warning system sounded 15 times as the plane came in "but the defendant was still ignoring it", it says.
"When the defendant landed ... the plane speed was still 221 knots."
The plane bounced along the runway three times, snapping its front wheel.
It then careered off the end of the runway, across a street and hit a wall before erupting in flames, the indictment says.
Among the 21 killed were Australian diplomat Liz O'Neill, AusAID official Allison Sudradjat, Australian Federal Police Officers Brice Steele and Mark Scott, and Australian Financial Review journalist Morgan Mellish.
The five were travelling to Yogyakarta for an official visit by then foreign minister Alexander Downer.
Some 31 other passengers were injured.
Komar faces three alternative sets of charges.
The most serious is that he deliberately and unlawfully caused an accident or destroyed a plane causing death. If convicted he face life in jail.
He is believed to be the first pilot to face criminal charges over a plane crash in Indonesia, which has a poor safety history.
As he arrived at court on Thursday, Komar said he was ready to face trial.
"I'm ready. I thank God I'm healthy," he said.
His lawyer Mohammad Assegaf said Komar had already paid a heavy price for the crash, including the loss of his pilot's licence and job.
"As a man who lost his job and had his licence frozen, for a pilot that is already the same as being killed," he told journalists.
"Freezing his licence - it's already a very harsh punishment for a pilot."
Garuda is helping fund Komar's defence, Assegaf said.
Five judges will hear the case, which is expected to run for several months.
A Garuda pilot has been formally charged with deliberately causing a passenger plane to crash in Indonesia, killing 21 people including five Australians.
Captain Marwoto Komar, 46, was charged on Thursday at the opening of his trial at Yogyakarta in central Java, where the 21 victims lost their lives on March 7 last year.
Komar fronted the Slemen District Court in his pilot's uniform, despite resigning from Garuda after the airline gave him an ultimatum following the crash.
A copy of an indictment to be read to the court on Thursday says Komar ignored 15 alarms to abort the landing of the Boeing 737 at Yogyakarta's Adi Sucipto Airport.
It says co-pilot Gagam Samam Rohmana had calculated the plane should land at a speed of 140 knots, but when the aircraft hit the runway it was going at 240 knots.
Komar also ignored the pleas of Rohmana not to proceed with the landing, it says.
"The defendant deliberately forced the landing by putting the nose of the Garuda Boeing 737 ... steeply down, so that the ground proximity warning system gave the signal 'whoop whoop, pull up'," the indictment says.
"The (co-pilot) looked or stared to the left at the defendant but the defendant didn't try to lift up the plane or cancel the landing, or go around.
"The defendant didn't try to pull the control column or the plane's steering mechanism ... the defendant only wanted to reach the runway by making the plane dive extremely."
The ground proximity warning system sounded 15 times as the plane came in "but the defendant was still ignoring it", it says.
"When the defendant landed ... the plane speed was still 221 knots."
The plane bounced along the runway three times, snapping its front wheel.
It then careered off the end of the runway, across a street and hit a wall before erupting in flames, the indictment says.
Among the 21 killed were Australian diplomat Liz O'Neill, AusAID official Allison Sudradjat, Australian Federal Police Officers Brice Steele and Mark Scott, and Australian Financial Review journalist Morgan Mellish.
The five were travelling to Yogyakarta for an official visit by then foreign minister Alexander Downer.
Some 31 other passengers were injured.
Komar faces three alternative sets of charges.
The most serious is that he deliberately and unlawfully caused an accident or destroyed a plane causing death. If convicted he face life in jail.
He is believed to be the first pilot to face criminal charges over a plane crash in Indonesia, which has a poor safety history.
As he arrived at court on Thursday, Komar said he was ready to face trial.
"I'm ready. I thank God I'm healthy," he said.
His lawyer Mohammad Assegaf said Komar had already paid a heavy price for the crash, including the loss of his pilot's licence and job.
"As a man who lost his job and had his licence frozen, for a pilot that is already the same as being killed," he told journalists.
"Freezing his licence - it's already a very harsh punishment for a pilot."
Garuda is helping fund Komar's defence, Assegaf said.
Five judges will hear the case, which is expected to run for several months.
Garuda pilot 'deliberately crashed plane'
By Stephen Fitzpatrick in Jakarta
Courier Mail July 24, 2008
PROSECUTORS will argue today that Garuda pilot Marwoto Komar deliberately crashed the Boeing 737-400 that ended up in a fireball off the runway at Yogyakarta, central Java, last year, killing 21 people, including five Australians.
A National Transportation Safety Committee report handed down late last year found that Captain Marwoto had failed to correct a "hot" landing profile during the final several kilometres of his approach to the airport on a routine Jakarta-Yogyakarta dawn commuter run.By the time he attempted to put the passenger jet on the runway, Captain Marwoto, 46, had ignored 15 automated audible cockpit warnings and several increasingly frantic pleas from his co-pilot, and was travelling at roughly twice the correct speed for landing, The Australian reports.
Fairfax journalist Morgan Mellish, Australian diplomats Liz O'Neill and Allison Sudradjat and Australian Federal Police officers Brice Steele and Mark Scott died in the crash.
They, as well as many of the Indonesians aboard the aircraft, were travelling to Yogyakarta for a visit by then foreign minister Alexander Downer.
Among the dignitaries Mr Downer was to meet in the historic city that day was prominent Muslim leader Din Samsyuddin - who survived the crash, having been able to scramble from the aircraft's wreckage before it burst into flames. Should prosecutors fail to prove Captain Marwoto deliberately crashed the jet, they will press lesser charges of negligently causing death, carrying a maximum sentence of seven years.
Courier Mail July 24, 2008
PROSECUTORS will argue today that Garuda pilot Marwoto Komar deliberately crashed the Boeing 737-400 that ended up in a fireball off the runway at Yogyakarta, central Java, last year, killing 21 people, including five Australians.
A National Transportation Safety Committee report handed down late last year found that Captain Marwoto had failed to correct a "hot" landing profile during the final several kilometres of his approach to the airport on a routine Jakarta-Yogyakarta dawn commuter run.By the time he attempted to put the passenger jet on the runway, Captain Marwoto, 46, had ignored 15 automated audible cockpit warnings and several increasingly frantic pleas from his co-pilot, and was travelling at roughly twice the correct speed for landing, The Australian reports.
Fairfax journalist Morgan Mellish, Australian diplomats Liz O'Neill and Allison Sudradjat and Australian Federal Police officers Brice Steele and Mark Scott died in the crash.
They, as well as many of the Indonesians aboard the aircraft, were travelling to Yogyakarta for a visit by then foreign minister Alexander Downer.
Among the dignitaries Mr Downer was to meet in the historic city that day was prominent Muslim leader Din Samsyuddin - who survived the crash, having been able to scramble from the aircraft's wreckage before it burst into flames. Should prosecutors fail to prove Captain Marwoto deliberately crashed the jet, they will press lesser charges of negligently causing death, carrying a maximum sentence of seven years.
Garuda pilot trial to begin amid controversy
ABC News
By Indonesia correspondent Geoff Thompson
The criminal trial of the pilot who crashed a Garuda plane in Yogyakarta last year begins today, despite criticism from the International Federation of Airline Pilots Associations.
On March 7 last year Garuda Flight 200 crashed and burned at Yogyakarta Airport, killing 21 people, including five Australians.
An Indonesian police investigation led to a trial beginning today in which pilot Marwoto Komar is accused of causing the death by deliberately destroying a plane.
If found guilty of this charge he could be sentenced to life imprisonment.
The Pilots Association executive vice-president and Qantas pilot, Captain Richard Woodward, says the reasons why Marwoto Komar ignored 15 automated warnings to land at almost twice the normal speed have not yet been established.
"There's obviously something wrong there and in our view no one has determined why that's the case," he said.
Other charges allege the pilot caused death through criminal negligence.
By Indonesia correspondent Geoff Thompson
The criminal trial of the pilot who crashed a Garuda plane in Yogyakarta last year begins today, despite criticism from the International Federation of Airline Pilots Associations.
On March 7 last year Garuda Flight 200 crashed and burned at Yogyakarta Airport, killing 21 people, including five Australians.
An Indonesian police investigation led to a trial beginning today in which pilot Marwoto Komar is accused of causing the death by deliberately destroying a plane.
If found guilty of this charge he could be sentenced to life imprisonment.
The Pilots Association executive vice-president and Qantas pilot, Captain Richard Woodward, says the reasons why Marwoto Komar ignored 15 automated warnings to land at almost twice the normal speed have not yet been established.
"There's obviously something wrong there and in our view no one has determined why that's the case," he said.
Other charges allege the pilot caused death through criminal negligence.
Garuda pilot tells of wild death ride
Mark Forbes in Denpasar
SMH, July 24, 2008
EXCLUSIVE
A GARUDA jet continued its ill-fated landing despite "running wild" and becoming uncontrollable early in its approach to Yogyakarta Airport's in March last year, its captain, Marwoto Komar, confessed under police interrogation.
Komar's trial for criminal negligence over the deaths of 21 people in the crash, including five Australians, begins today. He has never spoken publicly about the Boeing 737's descent, but his police interrogation report, which is central to the case, has been obtained by Herald.
Under questioning, Komar said there had been arguments with his co-pilot during the landing. He admitted the plane touched down at an unsafe speed.
He said he was concerned about conserving fuel - one of the possible reasons advanced as to why 15 automated alarms telling the pilot to "go-around", were ignored.
Asked by police why he did not land visually after experiencing problems with an instrument landing, Komar said he did not tell his co-pilot he was continuing to use the instrument landing system "because at that time I was the only one in control of the plane that was already running wild".
"The plane nose was always going down and it was difficult for me to bring the plane nose up ... [one of] the reasons for that was the malfunction of the plane's stabiliser which is located at the tail of the plane. However, I could not be sure of the reason," he said.
"So it can be said that the plane's performance ... was not stable," Komar said.
He described unsuccessful attempts to bring under control a plane that was descending too quickly. He admitted he never achieved a safe speed.
"It was impossible for me to go around because it was difficult to lift up the plane's nose, so my last attempt was trying to put the plane on a glide path, reasoning the plane would not touch the soil that was ahead of the runway. In other words my only hope was to reach for the runway."
On landing, the plane was travelling at 150 knots (270kmh), he said. "I do know the possibility of the risks but at least at that time I thought that my attempts carried the least risk."
Police have called for Komar to be jailed for life for the crash. His is the first criminal prosecution of an Indonesian pilot.
Air safety investigators determined the plane landed at nearly double the safe speed, bouncing off the runway, through the airport fence and across an embankment. Its wing was severed and the plane caught alight with many passengers trapped inside.
The airport's safety run-off did not meet international safety standards and its fire-fighting equipment and practices were heavily criticised by investigators.
Komar said he compromised with his co-pilot, Gagam Rahman, on the level of flaps the plane was using on descent because "by using a flap of 30 degrees the usage of fuel was relatively not much". Garuda had introduced large bonuses for conserving fuel shortly before last year's accident.
Komar faces charges of negligence causing injury and death and flying an aircraft which endangered the safety of people on the plane
SMH, July 24, 2008
EXCLUSIVE
A GARUDA jet continued its ill-fated landing despite "running wild" and becoming uncontrollable early in its approach to Yogyakarta Airport's in March last year, its captain, Marwoto Komar, confessed under police interrogation.
Komar's trial for criminal negligence over the deaths of 21 people in the crash, including five Australians, begins today. He has never spoken publicly about the Boeing 737's descent, but his police interrogation report, which is central to the case, has been obtained by Herald.
Under questioning, Komar said there had been arguments with his co-pilot during the landing. He admitted the plane touched down at an unsafe speed.
He said he was concerned about conserving fuel - one of the possible reasons advanced as to why 15 automated alarms telling the pilot to "go-around", were ignored.
Asked by police why he did not land visually after experiencing problems with an instrument landing, Komar said he did not tell his co-pilot he was continuing to use the instrument landing system "because at that time I was the only one in control of the plane that was already running wild".
"The plane nose was always going down and it was difficult for me to bring the plane nose up ... [one of] the reasons for that was the malfunction of the plane's stabiliser which is located at the tail of the plane. However, I could not be sure of the reason," he said.
"So it can be said that the plane's performance ... was not stable," Komar said.
He described unsuccessful attempts to bring under control a plane that was descending too quickly. He admitted he never achieved a safe speed.
"It was impossible for me to go around because it was difficult to lift up the plane's nose, so my last attempt was trying to put the plane on a glide path, reasoning the plane would not touch the soil that was ahead of the runway. In other words my only hope was to reach for the runway."
On landing, the plane was travelling at 150 knots (270kmh), he said. "I do know the possibility of the risks but at least at that time I thought that my attempts carried the least risk."
Police have called for Komar to be jailed for life for the crash. His is the first criminal prosecution of an Indonesian pilot.
Air safety investigators determined the plane landed at nearly double the safe speed, bouncing off the runway, through the airport fence and across an embankment. Its wing was severed and the plane caught alight with many passengers trapped inside.
The airport's safety run-off did not meet international safety standards and its fire-fighting equipment and practices were heavily criticised by investigators.
Komar said he compromised with his co-pilot, Gagam Rahman, on the level of flaps the plane was using on descent because "by using a flap of 30 degrees the usage of fuel was relatively not much". Garuda had introduced large bonuses for conserving fuel shortly before last year's accident.
Komar faces charges of negligence causing injury and death and flying an aircraft which endangered the safety of people on the plane
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Pilot to face court on crash deaths
SMH July 22, 2008
JAKARTA: A former Garuda pilot will face court this week over a plane crash that killed 21 people, including five Australians.
Captain Marwoto Komar, 46, will be the first pilot to face criminal charges over a plane crash in Indonesia.
His trial - on charges of negligence - will begin in Slemen District Court in Yogyakarta, Java, on Thursday, a court official said. Five judges will hear the case. Yogyakarta police last month handed their 200-page case file to prosecutors.
The Fairfax journalist Morgan Mellish was among those killed when the Boeing 737 overshot the runway after landing too fast, and burst into flames on March 7 last year. A report by safety regulators said the pilot ignored 15 alarms and the pleas of his co-pilot.
■ Indonesia's Attorney-General says the three Bali bombers can be executed at any time. Hendarman Supandji said he hoped that the Islamic militants Amrozi, his brother Mukhlas and Imam Samudra would be executed before the Islamic fasting month of Ramadan, in September.
AAP
JAKARTA: A former Garuda pilot will face court this week over a plane crash that killed 21 people, including five Australians.
Captain Marwoto Komar, 46, will be the first pilot to face criminal charges over a plane crash in Indonesia.
His trial - on charges of negligence - will begin in Slemen District Court in Yogyakarta, Java, on Thursday, a court official said. Five judges will hear the case. Yogyakarta police last month handed their 200-page case file to prosecutors.
The Fairfax journalist Morgan Mellish was among those killed when the Boeing 737 overshot the runway after landing too fast, and burst into flames on March 7 last year. A report by safety regulators said the pilot ignored 15 alarms and the pleas of his co-pilot.
■ Indonesia's Attorney-General says the three Bali bombers can be executed at any time. Hendarman Supandji said he hoped that the Islamic militants Amrozi, his brother Mukhlas and Imam Samudra would be executed before the Islamic fasting month of Ramadan, in September.
AAP
Monday, June 23, 2008
Yogyakarta airport unlicensed at time of crash
Mon Jun 23, 2008
ABC/Reuters
Indonesia's Yogyakarta airport was operating without a licence due to outstanding safety issues when a Garuda plane crashed last year, killing 21 people, an Australian air safety firm has found.
Flight Safety Pty Ltd, which carried out an audit of the airport following a request from an unnamed client, said authorities had failed to implement five conditions for a licence, including extending the runway and safety area.
State carrier Garuda's Boeing 737, with 140 people on board, bounced and skidded off the runway in Yogyakarta, central Java, before bursting into flames in a rice field in March 2007.
Five Australians were killed in the crash.
The aviation safety firm said Yogyakarta's operating licence had ended on August 1, 2006 - eight months before the crash - because it had failed to fulfil the five conditions for the five-year licence issued by Indonesian authorities.
An Indonesian safety official denied the airport was functioning without a licence.
"At that time [the licence] was still valid, but the RESA [Runway End Safety Area] was not long enough," Mardjono Siswo Suwarno of the National Transport Safety Committee said.
"But still in the [Garuda] case, even if the RESA length was adequate, the plane would have still overrun because the speed was 1.8 times normal speed."
Last year, an Indonesian safety report said the pilot ignored 15 warnings as he descended too fast, but declined to attribute the crash to "human error" or "pilot error".
The final report into the crash concluded that airport deficiencies were not responsible for the accident, although investigators concede that an adequate safety run-off area and adequate safety equipment may have reduced the human cost.
Most alarmingly however, more than a year after the crash, Yogyakarta's runway end safety area still has not been extended as required and the correct safety equipment has not been supplied.
In February this year, the pilot was arrested on charges that include manslaughter and violating aviation laws.
Brisbane-based Flight Safety owner Colin Weir also accuses the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB), International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and Indonesian authorities of being compromised because they are keeping quiet about the issue.
He says the ATSB was not aware that Yogyakarta airport was unlicensed at the time of the Garuda crash, but the ATSB says not complying with Annexe 14 amounts to the same thing.
"If there is another overrun on that airport, the same thing is going to happen. It is an absolutely untenable thing in terms of safety," he said.
"The issue here is the fact that the licence itself was null and void, now that has implications for the accident and the victims of the accident.
"They would need to know - and I think from a closure point of view - it's only fair to give everybody the opportunity to get all the information that's sitting in the background.
"In this case, because the airport's licence was in fact not current, there could be legal and insurance implications that they would want to pursue."
Airport audit
Flight Safety said it was called on by a client to audit Garuda after the crash, which led it to audit Yogyakarta, Solo and Semarang airports. It found that all three airports at the time were operating without a licence.
"When we looked at these airports we discovered that the licensing, the Airport Operating Certificate, had been issued for five years but subject to five conditions and these conditions had to be fulfilled within a 12-month period," Mr Weir said.
"The conditions included extension of the runway and safety area and that there be an audit by the DGCA [Indonesian Regulatory Authority] after six months, with a final cross check audit after 12 months.
"None of this was done in the 12-month period and that period lapsed on the August 1, 2006. When the Garuda accident happened these conditions had not been fulfilled and therefore the licence becomes null and void."
Mr Weir said Flight Safety notified the ICAO, the ATSB which helped investigate the Yogyakarta crash, and the director of Indonesia's Aviation Safety body.
"We were then told by the Indonesian director of Aviation Safety that the deficiencies had been rectified, however we have just conducted a re-audit only to find that there is no change to Solo and Yogyakarta," he said, adding that he has since been told by the director that "all conditions had been fulfilled".
"They might have changed those conditions now to make it legal, but at the time of the accident we have the audit report to show that what we are saying is 100 per cent correct."
'Old issues'
The Australian Financial Review's Indonesia correspondent, Morgan Mellish, was one of the Australians killed in the crash.
Caroline Mellish is his sister and she says she has accepted a payout from Garuda and signed an agreement preventing her from taking further legal action.
"It angers me to the point where it's obvious that the issues in regards to the runway in particular were not known previously, and they had a set time-frame to rectify them," she said.
"These weren't new issues at all, as in fact we thought they might be, they were old issues that were already known and not fixed.
"So it was even more so a preventable accident, which is makes me angry and sad."
'No problems'
Budi Mulyawan Suyitno, director general of air transportation at Indonesia's transportation ministry, has told ABC radio's PM program that directions had been given but local authorities did not have the budget to implement the recommendations.
But he also said there did not appear to be a problem with Yogyakarta's licence.
"We don't see there's any licence problem [for Yogyakarta], but I will check again," he said, adding that authorities had been responding to safety concerns by declaring a RESA for 140 metres of the 2,250 metre runway and adding fire trucks.
Rapid growth in air travel in Indonesia has raised questions over whether safety has been compromised and whether the infrastructure and personnel can cope with the huge increase.
- ABC/Reuters
ABC/Reuters
Indonesia's Yogyakarta airport was operating without a licence due to outstanding safety issues when a Garuda plane crashed last year, killing 21 people, an Australian air safety firm has found.
Flight Safety Pty Ltd, which carried out an audit of the airport following a request from an unnamed client, said authorities had failed to implement five conditions for a licence, including extending the runway and safety area.
State carrier Garuda's Boeing 737, with 140 people on board, bounced and skidded off the runway in Yogyakarta, central Java, before bursting into flames in a rice field in March 2007.
Five Australians were killed in the crash.
The aviation safety firm said Yogyakarta's operating licence had ended on August 1, 2006 - eight months before the crash - because it had failed to fulfil the five conditions for the five-year licence issued by Indonesian authorities.
An Indonesian safety official denied the airport was functioning without a licence.
"At that time [the licence] was still valid, but the RESA [Runway End Safety Area] was not long enough," Mardjono Siswo Suwarno of the National Transport Safety Committee said.
"But still in the [Garuda] case, even if the RESA length was adequate, the plane would have still overrun because the speed was 1.8 times normal speed."
Last year, an Indonesian safety report said the pilot ignored 15 warnings as he descended too fast, but declined to attribute the crash to "human error" or "pilot error".
The final report into the crash concluded that airport deficiencies were not responsible for the accident, although investigators concede that an adequate safety run-off area and adequate safety equipment may have reduced the human cost.
Most alarmingly however, more than a year after the crash, Yogyakarta's runway end safety area still has not been extended as required and the correct safety equipment has not been supplied.
In February this year, the pilot was arrested on charges that include manslaughter and violating aviation laws.
Brisbane-based Flight Safety owner Colin Weir also accuses the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB), International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and Indonesian authorities of being compromised because they are keeping quiet about the issue.
He says the ATSB was not aware that Yogyakarta airport was unlicensed at the time of the Garuda crash, but the ATSB says not complying with Annexe 14 amounts to the same thing.
"If there is another overrun on that airport, the same thing is going to happen. It is an absolutely untenable thing in terms of safety," he said.
"The issue here is the fact that the licence itself was null and void, now that has implications for the accident and the victims of the accident.
"They would need to know - and I think from a closure point of view - it's only fair to give everybody the opportunity to get all the information that's sitting in the background.
"In this case, because the airport's licence was in fact not current, there could be legal and insurance implications that they would want to pursue."
Airport audit
Flight Safety said it was called on by a client to audit Garuda after the crash, which led it to audit Yogyakarta, Solo and Semarang airports. It found that all three airports at the time were operating without a licence.
"When we looked at these airports we discovered that the licensing, the Airport Operating Certificate, had been issued for five years but subject to five conditions and these conditions had to be fulfilled within a 12-month period," Mr Weir said.
"The conditions included extension of the runway and safety area and that there be an audit by the DGCA [Indonesian Regulatory Authority] after six months, with a final cross check audit after 12 months.
"None of this was done in the 12-month period and that period lapsed on the August 1, 2006. When the Garuda accident happened these conditions had not been fulfilled and therefore the licence becomes null and void."
Mr Weir said Flight Safety notified the ICAO, the ATSB which helped investigate the Yogyakarta crash, and the director of Indonesia's Aviation Safety body.
"We were then told by the Indonesian director of Aviation Safety that the deficiencies had been rectified, however we have just conducted a re-audit only to find that there is no change to Solo and Yogyakarta," he said, adding that he has since been told by the director that "all conditions had been fulfilled".
"They might have changed those conditions now to make it legal, but at the time of the accident we have the audit report to show that what we are saying is 100 per cent correct."
'Old issues'
The Australian Financial Review's Indonesia correspondent, Morgan Mellish, was one of the Australians killed in the crash.
Caroline Mellish is his sister and she says she has accepted a payout from Garuda and signed an agreement preventing her from taking further legal action.
"It angers me to the point where it's obvious that the issues in regards to the runway in particular were not known previously, and they had a set time-frame to rectify them," she said.
"These weren't new issues at all, as in fact we thought they might be, they were old issues that were already known and not fixed.
"So it was even more so a preventable accident, which is makes me angry and sad."
'No problems'
Budi Mulyawan Suyitno, director general of air transportation at Indonesia's transportation ministry, has told ABC radio's PM program that directions had been given but local authorities did not have the budget to implement the recommendations.
But he also said there did not appear to be a problem with Yogyakarta's licence.
"We don't see there's any licence problem [for Yogyakarta], but I will check again," he said, adding that authorities had been responding to safety concerns by declaring a RESA for 140 metres of the 2,250 metre runway and adding fire trucks.
Rapid growth in air travel in Indonesia has raised questions over whether safety has been compromised and whether the infrastructure and personnel can cope with the huge increase.
- ABC/Reuters
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Jakarta Foreign Correspondents Club
JFCC launches Morgan Mellish Fund
The JFCC is proud to announce the launching of the Morgan Mellish Fund to train Indonesian journalists in business and economics. Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd inaugurated the memorial fund on Friday June 13th.
Morgan Mellish* was the correspondent for the Australian Economic Review who died at age 36 on March 7, 2007 in the Garuda airline crash in Yogyakarta. He was among 21 people to loose their lives that day.
Morgan was awarded Australia''''s most prestigious journalism award, the Walkley, in 2006 for outstanding reporting. His story "The Robert Gerard Tax Scandal" was honored with the best Business Journalism award.
The Morgan Mellish Memorial Fund seeks to enhance Indonesian journalism in ways and encourage the spirit of bold inquisitiveness that made Morgan stand out.
The fund aims to put 20 students a year through courses that will enhance their reporting skills and bolster free and fair media It will be overseen by the JFCC''''s elected committee of eight journalists.
The JFCC has two other scholarships, the Sander Thoenes and Harry Burton funds, also in remembrance of former members who died during the course of their work.
Our work can only happen with the help of donations, so please be generous!
Transfer a donation to the JFCC in the name of the Morgan Mellish Fund
ANZ Panin Bank
Panin Bank Centre
Jl. Jend. Sudirman
Account Nr. 506923-00001
Send inquiries to: director@jfcc.info
*Morgan Mellish
Morgan Mellish was 36 years old when he died in the crash of Garuda Flight GA200 in Yogyakarta on March 7, 2007, one of 21 people to loose their lives that morning.
A talented journalist and lover of life, Morgan had been in Jakarta for just over a year, posted as The Australian Financial Review''s bureau chief.
Becoming a foreign correspondent was one of Morgan''s two professional aims; the other was winning a Walkley, Australia''s most prestigious journalism award. He achieved both in the same year; the latter for his revelations about the appointment of Liberal Party donor Robert Gerard to the Reserve Bank board.
Laid-back and with a cheeky grin, Morgan took his work extremely seriously, but that didnÃÕ hold back his adventurous side. He took full advantage of IndonesiaÃÔ vast outdoors, hiking, mountain biking, and his true passion: surfing.
His networks were broad, ranging from business leaders to politicians to other amateur athletes. It is still impossible to go for a surf at his favourite West Java break, Cimaja, without having other surfers - - both local and foreign - - asking after him. Indeed, some of Morgan''s ashes were scattered in those waters.
Morgan also had in spades the reporter''s knack for posing tough questions.
"Sometimes asking the most obvious and stupid things gets the best and least expected answers," he liked to say. "Don''t be afraid to sound like an idiot."
The Morgan Mellish Memorial Fund is intended to help enhance Indonesian journalism in ways that will encourage precisely that spirit of bold inquisitiveness.
The JFCC is proud to announce the launching of the Morgan Mellish Fund to train Indonesian journalists in business and economics. Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd inaugurated the memorial fund on Friday June 13th.
Morgan Mellish* was the correspondent for the Australian Economic Review who died at age 36 on March 7, 2007 in the Garuda airline crash in Yogyakarta. He was among 21 people to loose their lives that day.
Morgan was awarded Australia''''s most prestigious journalism award, the Walkley, in 2006 for outstanding reporting. His story "The Robert Gerard Tax Scandal" was honored with the best Business Journalism award.
The Morgan Mellish Memorial Fund seeks to enhance Indonesian journalism in ways and encourage the spirit of bold inquisitiveness that made Morgan stand out.
The fund aims to put 20 students a year through courses that will enhance their reporting skills and bolster free and fair media It will be overseen by the JFCC''''s elected committee of eight journalists.
The JFCC has two other scholarships, the Sander Thoenes and Harry Burton funds, also in remembrance of former members who died during the course of their work.
Our work can only happen with the help of donations, so please be generous!
Transfer a donation to the JFCC in the name of the Morgan Mellish Fund
ANZ Panin Bank
Panin Bank Centre
Jl. Jend. Sudirman
Account Nr. 506923-00001
Send inquiries to: director@jfcc.info
*Morgan Mellish
Morgan Mellish was 36 years old when he died in the crash of Garuda Flight GA200 in Yogyakarta on March 7, 2007, one of 21 people to loose their lives that morning.
A talented journalist and lover of life, Morgan had been in Jakarta for just over a year, posted as The Australian Financial Review''s bureau chief.
Becoming a foreign correspondent was one of Morgan''s two professional aims; the other was winning a Walkley, Australia''s most prestigious journalism award. He achieved both in the same year; the latter for his revelations about the appointment of Liberal Party donor Robert Gerard to the Reserve Bank board.
Laid-back and with a cheeky grin, Morgan took his work extremely seriously, but that didnÃÕ hold back his adventurous side. He took full advantage of IndonesiaÃÔ vast outdoors, hiking, mountain biking, and his true passion: surfing.
His networks were broad, ranging from business leaders to politicians to other amateur athletes. It is still impossible to go for a surf at his favourite West Java break, Cimaja, without having other surfers - - both local and foreign - - asking after him. Indeed, some of Morgan''s ashes were scattered in those waters.
Morgan also had in spades the reporter''s knack for posing tough questions.
"Sometimes asking the most obvious and stupid things gets the best and least expected answers," he liked to say. "Don''t be afraid to sound like an idiot."
The Morgan Mellish Memorial Fund is intended to help enhance Indonesian journalism in ways that will encourage precisely that spirit of bold inquisitiveness.
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Memorial fund to train reporters
Mark Forbes Herald Correspondent in Jakarta
SMH, June 14, 2008
THE Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, said he was proud to launch a fund in the memory of Morgan Mellish during his visit to Jakarta yesterday, stating the former correspondent was committed to great journalism and loved Indonesia.
Mr Mellish, 36, was one of five Australians who died when a Garuda jet crashed in Yogyakarta just over a year ago. A correspondent with The Australian Financial Review, he was covering a visit by the then foreign affairs minister, Alexander Downer.
The Morgan Mellish Fund, to be administered by the Jakarta Foreign Correspondents Club, will fund the training of up to 30 Indonesian journalists in financial reporting each year. "Morgan would have liked that," Mr Rudd said. "Morgan Mellish represented the finest traditions of Australian journalists and Australian foreign correspondents," he said.
Mr Rudd said Mr Mellish, the recipient of a Walkley Award, was on a path to "even greater heights when tragedy struck".
The foundation deserved support as it would strengthen media coverage and "a free press is the life blood of Australian democracy and Indonesian democracy", Mr Rudd said.
Mr Mellish's successor and JFCC spokesman, Angus Grigg, said the fund would seek "to enhance Indonesian journalism … and encourage the spirit of bold inquisitiveness that made Morgan stand out".
He said the fund would be available to all local journalists who wanted to improve their financial literacy.
"We want to use that tragedy and see something positive come out of it," he said.
A total of 21 people died when the Garuda Boeing 737 overshot the Yogyakarta runway on March 7, 2007. The pilot is likely to face criminal negligence charges later this month. He allegedly ignored 15 cockpit alarms warning him to abort the landing as he descended at twice the safe speed.
SMH, June 14, 2008
THE Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, said he was proud to launch a fund in the memory of Morgan Mellish during his visit to Jakarta yesterday, stating the former correspondent was committed to great journalism and loved Indonesia.
Mr Mellish, 36, was one of five Australians who died when a Garuda jet crashed in Yogyakarta just over a year ago. A correspondent with The Australian Financial Review, he was covering a visit by the then foreign affairs minister, Alexander Downer.
The Morgan Mellish Fund, to be administered by the Jakarta Foreign Correspondents Club, will fund the training of up to 30 Indonesian journalists in financial reporting each year. "Morgan would have liked that," Mr Rudd said. "Morgan Mellish represented the finest traditions of Australian journalists and Australian foreign correspondents," he said.
Mr Rudd said Mr Mellish, the recipient of a Walkley Award, was on a path to "even greater heights when tragedy struck".
The foundation deserved support as it would strengthen media coverage and "a free press is the life blood of Australian democracy and Indonesian democracy", Mr Rudd said.
Mr Mellish's successor and JFCC spokesman, Angus Grigg, said the fund would seek "to enhance Indonesian journalism … and encourage the spirit of bold inquisitiveness that made Morgan stand out".
He said the fund would be available to all local journalists who wanted to improve their financial literacy.
"We want to use that tragedy and see something positive come out of it," he said.
A total of 21 people died when the Garuda Boeing 737 overshot the Yogyakarta runway on March 7, 2007. The pilot is likely to face criminal negligence charges later this month. He allegedly ignored 15 cockpit alarms warning him to abort the landing as he descended at twice the safe speed.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Garuda crash pilot to face trial 'soon'
SMH, June 10, 2008
By Karen Michelmore in Jakarta, Indonesia
A former Garuda pilot at the helm of a plane that crashed in Indonesia killing 21 people including five Australians is "ready" to face trial, his lawyer says.
Yogyakarta police on Tuesday formally handed their 200-page case file to prosecutors, signalling the trial could start within weeks.
Captain Marwoto Komar, 45, is believed to be the first pilot to face criminal charges over a plane crash in Indonesia, which has a dismal aviation safety record.
He will face three charges of negligence over the crash of the Boeing 737 in Yogyakarta, in central Java, on March 7 last year.
Five Australians travelling to Yogyakarta for an official visit by then Foreign Minister Alexander Downer were among those killed when the jet overshot the runway after landing too fast, and burst into flames in a nearby field.
Marwoto, who visited the police and prosecutors' offices with his legal team on Tuesday, could face a maximum of seven years in jail if convicted.
"Today the documentation has been officially accepted by the prosecutor," Marwoto's lawyer Kamal Firdaus said.
"I suspect from this it will be two to three weeks until it is handed over to the court - that's the usual practice.
"Usually the first hearing is two weeks after that."
He believed it would be "difficult" for the prosecution to prove negligence and win the case.
"We are ready and it will be a very interesting legal case, so let's see what will happen in the court."
Yogyakarta Police chief detective Jovianes Mahar said the case file was more than 10 centimetres thick, and evidence would include plane debris and documents.
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 that he was coming in too fast.
Marwoto's arrest in February shocked Indonesia's aviation community and sparked protests outside parliament demanding his release.
Meanwhile, Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd is expected to launch a charity in honour of one of the victims during his visit to Indonesia this week.
The Morgan Mellish Memorial Fund, named after the Australian Financial Review journalist who died in the crash, will provide financial literacy and basic economics training for Indonesian journalists.
By Karen Michelmore in Jakarta, Indonesia
A former Garuda pilot at the helm of a plane that crashed in Indonesia killing 21 people including five Australians is "ready" to face trial, his lawyer says.
Yogyakarta police on Tuesday formally handed their 200-page case file to prosecutors, signalling the trial could start within weeks.
Captain Marwoto Komar, 45, is believed to be the first pilot to face criminal charges over a plane crash in Indonesia, which has a dismal aviation safety record.
He will face three charges of negligence over the crash of the Boeing 737 in Yogyakarta, in central Java, on March 7 last year.
Five Australians travelling to Yogyakarta for an official visit by then Foreign Minister Alexander Downer were among those killed when the jet overshot the runway after landing too fast, and burst into flames in a nearby field.
Marwoto, who visited the police and prosecutors' offices with his legal team on Tuesday, could face a maximum of seven years in jail if convicted.
"Today the documentation has been officially accepted by the prosecutor," Marwoto's lawyer Kamal Firdaus said.
"I suspect from this it will be two to three weeks until it is handed over to the court - that's the usual practice.
"Usually the first hearing is two weeks after that."
He believed it would be "difficult" for the prosecution to prove negligence and win the case.
"We are ready and it will be a very interesting legal case, so let's see what will happen in the court."
Yogyakarta Police chief detective Jovianes Mahar said the case file was more than 10 centimetres thick, and evidence would include plane debris and documents.
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 that he was coming in too fast.
Marwoto's arrest in February shocked Indonesia's aviation community and sparked protests outside parliament demanding his release.
Meanwhile, Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd is expected to launch a charity in honour of one of the victims during his visit to Indonesia this week.
The Morgan Mellish Memorial Fund, named after the Australian Financial Review journalist who died in the crash, will provide financial literacy and basic economics training for Indonesian journalists.
Friday, June 6, 2008
Defence chief's travel safety concern
Jonathan Pearlman
SMH, June 6, 2008
THE Chief of the Defence Force, Angus Houston, has called on the Government to use bigger jets for VIP travel to ensure that journalists do not have to fly on unsafe airlines in countries with poor aviation safety.
Media organisations have urged the Government to upgrade the Royal Australian Air Force planes since the Garuda crash in Indonesia last year, in which five Australians travelling for an official visit by Alexander Downer were killed.
Air Chief Marshal Houston has told a Senate committee "the 737 aircraft is too small" and the Government should buy or lease bigger VIP aircraft.
"It is imperative we look after our journalists in places where the airline standards are perhaps not as high as they are in our own country," he said. "I think it is fine if you are in Australia, but when you are travelling in many places around the world, there are concerns about certain carriers and their particular airworthiness and flying standards."
A spokesman for the Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, said a plane had been chartered for journalists covering his upcoming visit to Japan and Indonesia.
"There has been some discussion for some time about the need to update the VIP fleet," Mr Rudd said. "No decision has yet been made."
Air Chief Marshal Houston said the Garuda crash had demonstrated the risks of continuing to use the current fleet.
SMH, June 6, 2008
THE Chief of the Defence Force, Angus Houston, has called on the Government to use bigger jets for VIP travel to ensure that journalists do not have to fly on unsafe airlines in countries with poor aviation safety.
Media organisations have urged the Government to upgrade the Royal Australian Air Force planes since the Garuda crash in Indonesia last year, in which five Australians travelling for an official visit by Alexander Downer were killed.
Air Chief Marshal Houston has told a Senate committee "the 737 aircraft is too small" and the Government should buy or lease bigger VIP aircraft.
"It is imperative we look after our journalists in places where the airline standards are perhaps not as high as they are in our own country," he said. "I think it is fine if you are in Australia, but when you are travelling in many places around the world, there are concerns about certain carriers and their particular airworthiness and flying standards."
A spokesman for the Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, said a plane had been chartered for journalists covering his upcoming visit to Japan and Indonesia.
"There has been some discussion for some time about the need to update the VIP fleet," Mr Rudd said. "No decision has yet been made."
Air Chief Marshal Houston said the Garuda crash had demonstrated the risks of continuing to use the current fleet.
Monday, April 7, 2008
Bigger VIP aircraft
Phillip Coorey
SMH, April 7, 2008
THE Government is likely to upgrade the RAAF jets used for VIP travel after the two 737s leased by the Howard government proved to be inadequate.
As well as representations by media organisations last year following the Garuda plane crash in Indonesia, the Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, is being urged by those at the most senior levels in the defence forces to upgrade the fleet. They are pushing him to lease two Airbus A-330s, the same as those being brought into service by the RAAF to use as refuellers and for transporting troops overseas and back.
The lease on the 737s expires in 2014, but there is a provision to turn them over next year.
John Howard settled on the 737s despite arguments that they would be too small to take the media and even all his staff.
The planes are ill suited for long flights. Those still steaming over the decision, including high-ranking military officials, blame Mr Howard's former chief of staff, Max Moore-Wilton.
Phillip Coorey
SMH, April 7, 2008
THE Government is likely to upgrade the RAAF jets used for VIP travel after the two 737s leased by the Howard government proved to be inadequate.
As well as representations by media organisations last year following the Garuda plane crash in Indonesia, the Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, is being urged by those at the most senior levels in the defence forces to upgrade the fleet. They are pushing him to lease two Airbus A-330s, the same as those being brought into service by the RAAF to use as refuellers and for transporting troops overseas and back.
The lease on the 737s expires in 2014, but there is a provision to turn them over next year.
John Howard settled on the 737s despite arguments that they would be too small to take the media and even all his staff.
The planes are ill suited for long flights. Those still steaming over the decision, including high-ranking military officials, blame Mr Howard's former chief of staff, Max Moore-Wilton.
Phillip Coorey
Friday, March 14, 2008
Saturday, March 8, 2008
Rudd marks Garuda crash
SMH, March 8, 2008
THE five Australians killed in last year's plane crash in Indonesia were remembered yesterday by the Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, as passionate Australians.
Mr Rudd also paid tribute to the Herald journalist Cynthia Banham, who was severely injured in the Garuda crash on March 7 last year that killed 21 people when the Boeing 737 overshot the Yogyakarta airport runway and exploded.
Mr Rudd said his thoughts and prayers were with the families and friends. Five passionate Australians had died "vigorously pursuing their professions, in the prime of their lives", he said.
Private commemorations were held in Canberra and Jakarta for the federal police agents Brice Steele and Mark Scott, AusAID official Allison Sudradjat, Department of Foreign Affairs official Liz O'Neill and Australian Financial Review journalist Morgan Mellish, who died in the crash.
They were among government officials and reporters covering a visit to Indonesia by the then foreign minister, Alexander Downer. He was not on the plane.
Mr Rudd said the federal police would pay tribute to their officers, along with others who had lost their lives in the line of duty, on National Police Remembrance Day on September 29. The Department of Foreign Affairs and AusAID had created scholarships and annual awards. The first six AusAID scholarships will be announced on March 17.
Mr Rudd said the " efforts of Cynthia Banham and her partner, Michael Harvey, to rebuild their lives is a humbling tribute to the power of the human spirit".
Caroline Mellish, the sister of Mr Mellish, said she was disappointed Indonesia had not moved to improve air safety. "The investigation itself, I believe, has been thorough," she told Nine Network.
Phillip Hudson and AAP
THE five Australians killed in last year's plane crash in Indonesia were remembered yesterday by the Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, as passionate Australians.
Mr Rudd also paid tribute to the Herald journalist Cynthia Banham, who was severely injured in the Garuda crash on March 7 last year that killed 21 people when the Boeing 737 overshot the Yogyakarta airport runway and exploded.
Mr Rudd said his thoughts and prayers were with the families and friends. Five passionate Australians had died "vigorously pursuing their professions, in the prime of their lives", he said.
Private commemorations were held in Canberra and Jakarta for the federal police agents Brice Steele and Mark Scott, AusAID official Allison Sudradjat, Department of Foreign Affairs official Liz O'Neill and Australian Financial Review journalist Morgan Mellish, who died in the crash.
They were among government officials and reporters covering a visit to Indonesia by the then foreign minister, Alexander Downer. He was not on the plane.
Mr Rudd said the federal police would pay tribute to their officers, along with others who had lost their lives in the line of duty, on National Police Remembrance Day on September 29. The Department of Foreign Affairs and AusAID had created scholarships and annual awards. The first six AusAID scholarships will be announced on March 17.
Mr Rudd said the " efforts of Cynthia Banham and her partner, Michael Harvey, to rebuild their lives is a humbling tribute to the power of the human spirit".
Caroline Mellish, the sister of Mr Mellish, said she was disappointed Indonesia had not moved to improve air safety. "The investigation itself, I believe, has been thorough," she told Nine Network.
Phillip Hudson and AAP
Newspapers announce Indonesia scholarships
SMH, March 8, 2008
A Scholarship program to help Indonesian journalists and photographers gain experience in Australia was launched yesterday by The Sydney Morning Herald and The Australian Financial Review on the first anniversary of the Yogyakarta plane crash.
Two scholarships of $5000 each will be offered annually to help promising Indonesian journalists or photographers visit Australia, where they will be hosted by the newspapers.
Currently there are very limited opportunities for Indonesian journalists to visit Australia and benefit from the professional and cultural experiences of working here.
The program was launched by the editor of the Herald, Alan Oakley, the editor of the AFR, Glenn Burge, and the chief executive officer of Fairfax Media, David Kirk.
They said the scholarships were an opportunity for the two newspapers, whose staff suffered physical and emotional blows from the plane crash, to build on their ties with Indonesia and to honour their many journalists who have reported with distinction from Indonesia.
"We expect the new scholarships will forge rewarding ties with our counterparts in Indonesia and deliver ongoing benefits to journalists and photographers in both countries," they said in a statement.
Five Australians died in the Yogyakarta tragedy, including the Financial Review journalist Morgan Mellish. The Herald journalist Cynthia Banham was severely injured.
Fairfax Media is funding the scholarships, with full support from the publishers of the Herald and Financial Review.
The Financial Review has also established an annual scholarship to allow one of its reporters to study and travel in Asia, to continue the journalism Mellish was pursuing.
A Scholarship program to help Indonesian journalists and photographers gain experience in Australia was launched yesterday by The Sydney Morning Herald and The Australian Financial Review on the first anniversary of the Yogyakarta plane crash.
Two scholarships of $5000 each will be offered annually to help promising Indonesian journalists or photographers visit Australia, where they will be hosted by the newspapers.
Currently there are very limited opportunities for Indonesian journalists to visit Australia and benefit from the professional and cultural experiences of working here.
The program was launched by the editor of the Herald, Alan Oakley, the editor of the AFR, Glenn Burge, and the chief executive officer of Fairfax Media, David Kirk.
They said the scholarships were an opportunity for the two newspapers, whose staff suffered physical and emotional blows from the plane crash, to build on their ties with Indonesia and to honour their many journalists who have reported with distinction from Indonesia.
"We expect the new scholarships will forge rewarding ties with our counterparts in Indonesia and deliver ongoing benefits to journalists and photographers in both countries," they said in a statement.
Five Australians died in the Yogyakarta tragedy, including the Financial Review journalist Morgan Mellish. The Herald journalist Cynthia Banham was severely injured.
Fairfax Media is funding the scholarships, with full support from the publishers of the Herald and Financial Review.
The Financial Review has also established an annual scholarship to allow one of its reporters to study and travel in Asia, to continue the journalism Mellish was pursuing.
Friday, March 7, 2008
Air crash victims honoured today
Mark Forbes Herald Correspondent in Jakarta
SMH, March 7, 2008
FRIENDS, family and colleagues will place flowers and light candles in Australia and Jakarta this morning in memory of the five Australians who died in the Garuda plane crash a year ago.
Small ceremonies will be held at the Department of Foreign Affairs in Canberra and Australia's Jakarta embassy at 7am Indonesian time, when candles will be lit about the same time the Boeing 737 overshot the Yogyakarta runway.
There will be no speeches, just an opportunity for the close-knit communities of diplomats, police and journalists who were rocked by tragedy to remember the five popular, respected victims. All were on the flight for a visit to Yogyakarta by the then foreign affairs minister, Alexander Downer.
At the embassy's entrance, guests will pay their respects before a plaque honouring the five. A similar gathering will be held in the foyer of the department's Canberra headquarters
Jakarta-based international correspondents will also gather this evening to remember Morgan Mellish, a journalist with The Australian Financial Review who perished in the crash. Plans to establish a scholarship for reporters will be announced.
It is just one of several ways in which the memory of their five - and their passion for public service and international work - will continue.
Friends and family have established the Morgan Mellish Foundation in Australia raising funds for international and local charities. The Elizabeth O'Neill Journalism Award has been instituted in the name of the diplomat, allowing young Indonesian and Australian journalists to explore and understand each other's nations.
Leading Indonesian students have also been the recipients of study grants named after AusAid's Indonesia head, Allison Sudradjat.
Twenty-one people died in the crash and the Herald journalist Cynthia Banham was severely injured. The other Australian victims were senior Australian Federal Police agents Brice Steele and Mark Scott.
Indonesian police want the pilot, Martowo Komar, to face criminal negligence charges.
SMH, March 7, 2008
FRIENDS, family and colleagues will place flowers and light candles in Australia and Jakarta this morning in memory of the five Australians who died in the Garuda plane crash a year ago.
Small ceremonies will be held at the Department of Foreign Affairs in Canberra and Australia's Jakarta embassy at 7am Indonesian time, when candles will be lit about the same time the Boeing 737 overshot the Yogyakarta runway.
There will be no speeches, just an opportunity for the close-knit communities of diplomats, police and journalists who were rocked by tragedy to remember the five popular, respected victims. All were on the flight for a visit to Yogyakarta by the then foreign affairs minister, Alexander Downer.
At the embassy's entrance, guests will pay their respects before a plaque honouring the five. A similar gathering will be held in the foyer of the department's Canberra headquarters
Jakarta-based international correspondents will also gather this evening to remember Morgan Mellish, a journalist with The Australian Financial Review who perished in the crash. Plans to establish a scholarship for reporters will be announced.
It is just one of several ways in which the memory of their five - and their passion for public service and international work - will continue.
Friends and family have established the Morgan Mellish Foundation in Australia raising funds for international and local charities. The Elizabeth O'Neill Journalism Award has been instituted in the name of the diplomat, allowing young Indonesian and Australian journalists to explore and understand each other's nations.
Leading Indonesian students have also been the recipients of study grants named after AusAid's Indonesia head, Allison Sudradjat.
Twenty-one people died in the crash and the Herald journalist Cynthia Banham was severely injured. The other Australian victims were senior Australian Federal Police agents Brice Steele and Mark Scott.
Indonesian police want the pilot, Martowo Komar, to face criminal negligence charges.
Garuda victims remembered one year on
Garuda victims remembered one year on
A private ceremony will be held in Jakarta today to mark the first anniversary of the Garuda plane crash in Jogjakarta.
Twelve months ago today, Garuda Flight 200 left Jakarta for Jogjakarta, where an attempt to land too fast caused the jet to crash and burst into flames.
Five Australians were among the 21 people killed.
They were two Australian Federal Police officers, Mark Scott and Brice Steele, AusAid's Indonesia head, Alison Sudrajat and the spokeswoman for Australia's Jakarta embassy, Liz O'Neill.
The Australian Financial Review's Jakarta correspondent Morgan Mellish was also killed.
They will be remembered in a private ceremony at the Australian embassy in Jakarta this morning.
ABC News
A private ceremony will be held in Jakarta today to mark the first anniversary of the Garuda plane crash in Jogjakarta.
Twelve months ago today, Garuda Flight 200 left Jakarta for Jogjakarta, where an attempt to land too fast caused the jet to crash and burst into flames.
Five Australians were among the 21 people killed.
They were two Australian Federal Police officers, Mark Scott and Brice Steele, AusAid's Indonesia head, Alison Sudrajat and the spokeswoman for Australia's Jakarta embassy, Liz O'Neill.
The Australian Financial Review's Jakarta correspondent Morgan Mellish was also killed.
They will be remembered in a private ceremony at the Australian embassy in Jakarta this morning.
ABC News
Safety slammed a year since Garuda crash
SMH, March 7, 2008
The sister of an Australian who died in the Garuda plane crash in Indonesia one year ago says recommendations to improve safety still have not been introduced.
The five Australians killed when the Boeing 737 overshot the runway then exploded in flames at Yogyakarta airport will be remembered in a ceremony at the Australian embassy in Jakarta.
Caroline Mellish, the sister of Australian Financial Review journalist Morgan Mellish, expressed disappointment Indonesian authorities had not moved to improve airline safety.
"The investigation itself, I believe, has been thorough," she told the Nine Network.
"Unfortunately, I don't think any of the recommendations have been followed through with in terms of extending the runway or pilot education."
Ms Mellish called for the introduction of a worldwide airline safety rating system.
"In a basic form, it would be a rating for all aviation issues - like safety, pilot safety records, even just the ratings of the planes - so people know which airline is the safest."
"Like a rating out of 10 or a star rating.
"At the moment, we just assume they are all relatively safe and no one really knows who is flying the plane or if the airline is, in fact, itself safe."
A final report into the accident by Indonesia's National Transport Safety Committee found the pilot was so fixated with landing he had ignored 15 alarms warning he was descending too rapidly.
Police in Yogyakarta last month arrested Marwoto Komar, and he has quit after an ultimatum from the airline to resign or be sacked.
He is believed to be the first pilot to face criminal charges over a crash in Indonesia.
Ms Mellish said she would mark the day by reflecting on the time she had with her brother and remembering his life.
She had avoided watching footage of the plane crash.
"I try not to focus on how he died, so I don't really see the need to see the footage," she said.
"At the moment, I like to think it wasn't as bad as perhaps it was and if I was to see the footage it would be, sort of, a stark reality of how bad the actual situation was."
Australian Federal Police officer Mark Scott, his colleague Brice Steele, diplomat Liz O'Neill and AusAID official Allison Sudradjat also died in the crash that killed 21 people.
They were part of a group of Australian journalists and Department of Foreign Affairs (DFAT) staff taking part in a tour of Indonesia by then foreign minister Alexander Downer
AAP
The sister of an Australian who died in the Garuda plane crash in Indonesia one year ago says recommendations to improve safety still have not been introduced.
The five Australians killed when the Boeing 737 overshot the runway then exploded in flames at Yogyakarta airport will be remembered in a ceremony at the Australian embassy in Jakarta.
Caroline Mellish, the sister of Australian Financial Review journalist Morgan Mellish, expressed disappointment Indonesian authorities had not moved to improve airline safety.
"The investigation itself, I believe, has been thorough," she told the Nine Network.
"Unfortunately, I don't think any of the recommendations have been followed through with in terms of extending the runway or pilot education."
Ms Mellish called for the introduction of a worldwide airline safety rating system.
"In a basic form, it would be a rating for all aviation issues - like safety, pilot safety records, even just the ratings of the planes - so people know which airline is the safest."
"Like a rating out of 10 or a star rating.
"At the moment, we just assume they are all relatively safe and no one really knows who is flying the plane or if the airline is, in fact, itself safe."
A final report into the accident by Indonesia's National Transport Safety Committee found the pilot was so fixated with landing he had ignored 15 alarms warning he was descending too rapidly.
Police in Yogyakarta last month arrested Marwoto Komar, and he has quit after an ultimatum from the airline to resign or be sacked.
He is believed to be the first pilot to face criminal charges over a crash in Indonesia.
Ms Mellish said she would mark the day by reflecting on the time she had with her brother and remembering his life.
She had avoided watching footage of the plane crash.
"I try not to focus on how he died, so I don't really see the need to see the footage," she said.
"At the moment, I like to think it wasn't as bad as perhaps it was and if I was to see the footage it would be, sort of, a stark reality of how bad the actual situation was."
Australian Federal Police officer Mark Scott, his colleague Brice Steele, diplomat Liz O'Neill and AusAID official Allison Sudradjat also died in the crash that killed 21 people.
They were part of a group of Australian journalists and Department of Foreign Affairs (DFAT) staff taking part in a tour of Indonesia by then foreign minister Alexander Downer
AAP
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Friday to mark a year since Garuda crash
SMH, March 6, 2008
Candles will be lit at Australia's Embassy in Jakarta on Friday to commemorate the five Australians killed in an Indonesian plane crash a year ago.
Friday marks the first anniversary of the Garuda plane crash which killed 21 people on landing in Yogyakarta on March 7, 2007.
A series of small, private gatherings will be held in Indonesia's capital to commemorate the anniversary.
At the embassy, friends and relatives of those Australians who perished will be able to place flowers near a plaque erected in their memory at the main entrance to the mission.
The five Australians had been travelling to cover a visit by Australia's then foreign minister Alexander Downer.
They were Australian Financial Review journalist Morgan Mellish, 36; diplomat Liz O'Neill, 37; Australian Federal Police agents Brice Steele, 37, and Mark Scott, 41; and AusAid Indonesia head Allison Sudradjat, 41.
Police are still probing the crash one year on, although they have indicated the 45-year-old pilot Captain Martowo Komar will face criminal charges.
The decision has sparked outrage from other pilots.
Komar is believed to be the first pilot to face prosecution over a plane crash in Indonesia, which has a poor aviation safety record.
He faces up to seven years imprisonment if convicted for the five flagged charges, which include negligence causing death and injury.
A final report by safety regulators found 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.
The plane was travelling at almost double the normal landing speed.
Komar was detained at Yogyakarta Police Headquarters early last month, but released on bail two weeks later.
He could face court within weeks.
2008 AAP
Candles will be lit at Australia's Embassy in Jakarta on Friday to commemorate the five Australians killed in an Indonesian plane crash a year ago.
Friday marks the first anniversary of the Garuda plane crash which killed 21 people on landing in Yogyakarta on March 7, 2007.
A series of small, private gatherings will be held in Indonesia's capital to commemorate the anniversary.
At the embassy, friends and relatives of those Australians who perished will be able to place flowers near a plaque erected in their memory at the main entrance to the mission.
The five Australians had been travelling to cover a visit by Australia's then foreign minister Alexander Downer.
They were Australian Financial Review journalist Morgan Mellish, 36; diplomat Liz O'Neill, 37; Australian Federal Police agents Brice Steele, 37, and Mark Scott, 41; and AusAid Indonesia head Allison Sudradjat, 41.
Police are still probing the crash one year on, although they have indicated the 45-year-old pilot Captain Martowo Komar will face criminal charges.
The decision has sparked outrage from other pilots.
Komar is believed to be the first pilot to face prosecution over a plane crash in Indonesia, which has a poor aviation safety record.
He faces up to seven years imprisonment if convicted for the five flagged charges, which include negligence causing death and injury.
A final report by safety regulators found 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.
The plane was travelling at almost double the normal landing speed.
Komar was detained at Yogyakarta Police Headquarters early last month, but released on bail two weeks later.
He could face court within weeks.
2008 AAP
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Mt Piddington '95
Morges too cool for school and Dom looking to make good his escape.Mt Piddington 1995
Dom.
Friday, February 29, 2008
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
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
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
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
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
RSVP: cazmellish@hotmail.com
Friday, February 15, 2008
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
Thursday, February 7, 2008
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
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
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
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.
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.
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
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.
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.
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.
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Crash interviews allowed
Mark Forbes
SMH, January 23, 2008
INDONESIAN air force officials have said they will allow police to interview air-traffic controllers from Yogyakarta Airport, following complaints that the investigation into the crash of a Garuda aircraft last year was being blocked.
Rear Air Marshal Daryatmo yesterday said that as long as the air-traffic controllers were not treated as suspects in the crash, questioning would be permitted.
Yogyakarta Airport is run by the air force. The March 7 crash landing killed 21 people, including five Australians. Police have been trying to interview the controllers for nearly three months.
"For the national interest, the air force realises this investigation is important so the same accident won't happen again," Rear Air Marshal Daryatmo said.
"As long as they [the controllers] are summoned as witnesses, we have no problem at all."
The interviews could be a key element in the case against the aircraft's captain, Marwoto Komar, as police have been denied access to cockpit recordings.
SMH, January 23, 2008
INDONESIAN air force officials have said they will allow police to interview air-traffic controllers from Yogyakarta Airport, following complaints that the investigation into the crash of a Garuda aircraft last year was being blocked.
Rear Air Marshal Daryatmo yesterday said that as long as the air-traffic controllers were not treated as suspects in the crash, questioning would be permitted.
Yogyakarta Airport is run by the air force. The March 7 crash landing killed 21 people, including five Australians. Police have been trying to interview the controllers for nearly three months.
"For the national interest, the air force realises this investigation is important so the same accident won't happen again," Rear Air Marshal Daryatmo said.
"As long as they [the controllers] are summoned as witnesses, we have no problem at all."
The interviews could be a key element in the case against the aircraft's captain, Marwoto Komar, as police have been denied access to cockpit recordings.
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Indonesians deny blocking crash inquiry
SMH
January 22, 2008
Indonesia's Air Force today rejected claims it is hindering a police probe into last year's Garuda plane crash that killed 21 people, including five Australians.
The head of the police investigation has reportedly claimed the military is blocking access to key witnesses - the air traffic controllers who supervised the landing.
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.
A final report into the accident by Indonesia's National Transport Safety Committee (KNKT) last year said the pilot had ignored 15 alarm warnings not to land.
Indonesian Air Force Spokesman, First Marshal Daryatmo, today said the organisation had not obstructed access to the air traffic controllers, who are members of the Air Force.
"The controller persons, they are from the Air Force, but, we use ICAO rules, International Civil Aviation Organisation rules," Daryatmo said.
"For the national interest, the Air Force realises that this investigation is important so that the same accident won't happen again.
"We know that and that's the culture of the Air Force.
"So, as long as it's for that intention, there's no hindrance from the Air Force."
Yogyakarta chief of detectives, Aridono Sukmanto, told the Sydney Morning Herald yesterday he'd so far been unable to secure interviews with the air traffic controllers, necessary to confirm the reported details of the landing.
He feared there could be insufficient evidence for a manslaughter prosecution unless the air traffic controllers were questioned.
Police are due to meet with prosecutors at the end of the month to discuss the future of the case.
January 22, 2008
Indonesia's Air Force today rejected claims it is hindering a police probe into last year's Garuda plane crash that killed 21 people, including five Australians.
The head of the police investigation has reportedly claimed the military is blocking access to key witnesses - the air traffic controllers who supervised the landing.
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.
A final report into the accident by Indonesia's National Transport Safety Committee (KNKT) last year said the pilot had ignored 15 alarm warnings not to land.
Indonesian Air Force Spokesman, First Marshal Daryatmo, today said the organisation had not obstructed access to the air traffic controllers, who are members of the Air Force.
"The controller persons, they are from the Air Force, but, we use ICAO rules, International Civil Aviation Organisation rules," Daryatmo said.
"For the national interest, the Air Force realises that this investigation is important so that the same accident won't happen again.
"We know that and that's the culture of the Air Force.
"So, as long as it's for that intention, there's no hindrance from the Air Force."
Yogyakarta chief of detectives, Aridono Sukmanto, told the Sydney Morning Herald yesterday he'd so far been unable to secure interviews with the air traffic controllers, necessary to confirm the reported details of the landing.
He feared there could be insufficient evidence for a manslaughter prosecution unless the air traffic controllers were questioned.
Police are due to meet with prosecutors at the end of the month to discuss the future of the case.
EU says Indonesia's air safety needs more work
Indonesia has not yet made enough progress improving air safety for the European Union to lift a ban on the Southeast Asian nation's airlines, the EU's air safety chief said on Monday.
SMH
January 22, 2008
SMH
January 22, 2008
Garuda crash: air force fobs off police
Mark Forbes
Herald Correspondent in Jakarta
January 22, 2008
PROSECUTION of the Garuda pilot who crashed in Yogyakarta last year is being hindered by the Indonesian Air Force blocking access to the air traffic controllers who supervised the landing.
Police have to wind up their investigation this month, but have not been able to interview the controllers.
The interviews could be a key element in the case against Captain Marwoto Komar, as police have been denied access to the cockpit and radio voice recordings of the landing.
An earlier air safety inquiry said the recordings showed Captain Komar ignored 15 warnings that he was approaching too fast and that the landing should be aborted. International aviation protocols prevent police from using the recordings.
The Yogyakarta chief of detectives, Aridono Sukmanto, who is heading the investigation, told the Herald he needed the flight crew and controllers to confirm the reported details of the landing.
Colonel Aridono said he was concerned that failure to interview the controllers could mean there was insufficient evidence for a successful manslaughter prosecution.
It is unclear if the controllers warned the pilot to abort, but initial reports suggested they believed the plane was approaching too fast.
Yogyakarta Airport's operations are controlled by the air force, which may be embarrassed by safety deficiencies exposed after the March 7 crash which killed 21 people, including five Australians.
Colonel Aridono said his team had just returned from a successful visit to Australia, where it interviewed survivors and aviation experts.
"On the other hand, we are still unable to obtain information from the air traffic controllers," he said.
Interview requests had been ignored by air force officials, prompting police to write to the chief of the air force more than a month ago. He had not yet replied, Colonel Aridono said.
"We must finish our work by the end of this month," he said.
The air force spokesman did not respond to calls from the Herald yesterday.
Colonel Aridono confirmed Captain Komar was the only suspect in the case, which he wanted to take to court.
"We already have a suspect but we are still collecting evidence to support our argument that he be held responsible for what he did.
"We are serious about handling this case and our police chiefs are also serious about it."
Indonesia's police chief has taken a direct interest in the case. The Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, has told Indonesian officials he expected the investigation to be "prosecuted to the absolute full".
One Australian journalist and four officials involved in a visit by the former foreign affairs minister, Alexander Downer, died when the plane overshot the runway and caught fire.
Colonel Aridono said he planned to use the co-pilot as a witness against Captain Komar and had scheduled a final interview with him this week. Captain Komar would be re-interviewed shortly, he said.
At the end of the month, police will meet prosecutors and senior government officials to decide how to proceed with any prosecution.
As well as the controllers, police are waiting to interview two air safety investigators, but they have already agreed to be interrogated, Colonel Aridono said.
The official aviation report into the crash stated the Boeing 737 was travelling at almost twice the maximum safe speed when it touched down.
Herald Correspondent in Jakarta
January 22, 2008
PROSECUTION of the Garuda pilot who crashed in Yogyakarta last year is being hindered by the Indonesian Air Force blocking access to the air traffic controllers who supervised the landing.
Police have to wind up their investigation this month, but have not been able to interview the controllers.
The interviews could be a key element in the case against Captain Marwoto Komar, as police have been denied access to the cockpit and radio voice recordings of the landing.
An earlier air safety inquiry said the recordings showed Captain Komar ignored 15 warnings that he was approaching too fast and that the landing should be aborted. International aviation protocols prevent police from using the recordings.
The Yogyakarta chief of detectives, Aridono Sukmanto, who is heading the investigation, told the Herald he needed the flight crew and controllers to confirm the reported details of the landing.
Colonel Aridono said he was concerned that failure to interview the controllers could mean there was insufficient evidence for a successful manslaughter prosecution.
It is unclear if the controllers warned the pilot to abort, but initial reports suggested they believed the plane was approaching too fast.
Yogyakarta Airport's operations are controlled by the air force, which may be embarrassed by safety deficiencies exposed after the March 7 crash which killed 21 people, including five Australians.
Colonel Aridono said his team had just returned from a successful visit to Australia, where it interviewed survivors and aviation experts.
"On the other hand, we are still unable to obtain information from the air traffic controllers," he said.
Interview requests had been ignored by air force officials, prompting police to write to the chief of the air force more than a month ago. He had not yet replied, Colonel Aridono said.
"We must finish our work by the end of this month," he said.
The air force spokesman did not respond to calls from the Herald yesterday.
Colonel Aridono confirmed Captain Komar was the only suspect in the case, which he wanted to take to court.
"We already have a suspect but we are still collecting evidence to support our argument that he be held responsible for what he did.
"We are serious about handling this case and our police chiefs are also serious about it."
Indonesia's police chief has taken a direct interest in the case. The Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, has told Indonesian officials he expected the investigation to be "prosecuted to the absolute full".
One Australian journalist and four officials involved in a visit by the former foreign affairs minister, Alexander Downer, died when the plane overshot the runway and caught fire.
Colonel Aridono said he planned to use the co-pilot as a witness against Captain Komar and had scheduled a final interview with him this week. Captain Komar would be re-interviewed shortly, he said.
At the end of the month, police will meet prosecutors and senior government officials to decide how to proceed with any prosecution.
As well as the controllers, police are waiting to interview two air safety investigators, but they have already agreed to be interrogated, Colonel Aridono said.
The official aviation report into the crash stated the Boeing 737 was travelling at almost twice the maximum safe speed when it touched down.
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
Pilots fear runways fall short
Controversial modifications to Sydney Airport's runway safety areas would not be enough to prevent catastrophic accidents caused when planes overshoot runways, a global pilots' association has warned.
Jano Gibson Urban Affairs Reporter
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