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.
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
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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