Merpati Nusantara Airlines Flight 724
| Merpati Nusantara Airlines Flight 724 | |
|---|---|
 A similar Fokker F28 from Merpati Nusantara Airlines |
|
| Accident summary | |
| Accident type | Controlled flight into terrain |
| place | near Jefman Airport , Indonesia
|
| date | July 1, 1993 |
| Fatalities | 41 |
| Survivors | 2 |
| Injured | 2 |
| Aircraft | |
| Aircraft type |
 Fokker F28-3000
|
| operator |
Merpati Nusantara Airlines
|
| Mark |
PK-GFU
|
| Departure airport |
Pattimura Airport , Indonesia
|
| Destination airport |
Jefman Airport , Indonesia
|
| Passengers | 39 |
| crew | 4th |
| Lists of aviation accidents | |
On July 1, 1993, a Fokker F28-3000 of the Indonesian national airline Merpati Nusantara Airlines had an accident on Merpati-Nusantara flight 724 (flight number: MZ724 ) shortly before landing at Jefman Airport in Sorong . 41 out of 43 people on board were killed in the accident.
plane
The machine was a Fokker F28 Fellowship 3000 , which had completed its maiden flight on April 5, 1978, before it was delivered to Garuda Indonesia on May 30, 1978 . In September 1989 the machine was leased to Merpati Nusantara Airlines. It had the serial number 11131 and the aircraft registration number PK-GFU . The twin- engine, short - haul aircraft was equipped with two Rolls-Royce Spey 555-15 engines.
Passengers and crew
The four-person crew consisted of two pilots in the functions of captain and first officer as well as two flight attendants. For the flight from Pattimura to Jefman, 39 passengers were seated in the plane.
the accident
The Fokker was on an approach to Jefman Airport. The pilots had received clearance to fly to runway 22. The approach was made from a low altitude. In their testimony, survivors estimated the distance between the machine and the ground in flight to be less than one meter. Suddenly the machine rose, then the left main landing gear brushed the top of a small hill. Then the machine hit the rock.
Some passengers were thrown out of their seats and thrown around in the plane. Parts of the wing tore off and the machine began to turn. The plane skidded across the airport and crashed into the sea, breaking the fuselage in three. Most of the victims were still strapped in their seats when they were found, with some bodies floating on the surface of the water.
Search and rescue teams immediately started work after the accident. Local fishermen were the first to arrive at the scene of the accident. They hid a young boy and a grown man. Several people initially survived the accident, but later died from their injuries. One man survived the accident and rescued an unconscious boy from the water. While he was handing it over to the fishermen who had rushed to the rescue, he lost consciousness and died.
After the accident
From around 3:00 p.m., news of the crash spread. Relatives of the victims were informed of the accident and taken to the scene of the accident, where they arrived the following day. The evacuation was fairly quick as the accident site was easily accessible. The accident remained the most casualty in the history of Merpati Nusantara Airlines.
root cause
According to reports, the weather conditions on the day of the accident were said to have been very poor. Eyewitnesses spoke of heavy rain combined with strong wind. The press spokesman for Merpati Nusantara Airlines also said that the weather conditions in and around Sorong and Jefman Airport were "rough" at the time of the accident . At the time of the accident there were thick black clouds in the sky. Air traffic controllers had warned the crew of the machine about the weather and recommended that they abort the landing and return to Biak Airport . The flight captain is said to have insisted on landing in Sorong.
At the time of the final approach, the aircraft is said to have been misaligned. According to all findings, the pilots were disoriented due to the difficult weather conditions. By the time they realized their mistake seconds before impact, it was too late. The front part of the fuselage flew over the hill east of the airport, but the stern touched down. The machine eventually broke into three parts and fell into the sea.