Search on Missing Aviastar Airliner Postponed Over Bad Weather

Liputan6.com, Jakarta Twin otter airliner called Aviastar en route Masambaa to Makassar reportedly lost contact with the Air Traffic Controller (ATC) in the evening of Friday 2 October 2015. The missing aircraft was carrying 7 passengers along with 3-cabin crew and reported to have made a contact to the airline traffic controllers of Ujung Pandang prior to its disappearance.

Ujung Pandang ATC informed that the Pilot, Afriadi notified the aircraft’s last detected position to be at 4,500 feet above the ground.

“They made two contacts to Ujung Pandang ATC during take- off with the second one reportedly at 14.33 local time affirming their position to be at 4,500 feet,” Aviastar Commercial and Bussiness Development General Manager, Petrus Budi Prasetyo in his remarks during press conference held at the main office situated in Kalimalang of East Jakarta on the night of Friday, 2 October 2015.

Petrus continued with another communication established between them at 14.36 Eastern Indonesian Time declaring its position heightened to 8,000 feet and headed for Makassar.

“They also went to inform at 15.15 that its location was 60 nautical mile away from Ujung Pandang,” he continued.

Such information unfortunately, was the last to be yielded to the ATC and so the tower immediately contacted the pilot with zero response given. It was then understood that the otter plane with the flight number of MV7503 lose contact and therefore declared as missing.

Joint Search and Rescue (SAR) team immediately dispatched for the sweeping mission on all ocean, ground and air areas in Luwu of the coast of South Sulawesi. Recently declared missing Otter airliner that was reported to have been giving its last contact to the ATC tower on the evening of yesterday spurs intensified search mission with its conduction started early this Saturday morning.

“Up until now, the team still cannot yet find any clue showing signs of its location and the team will continue intensifying its best performance to get results quickly,” Member of Luwu SAR team from Masamba, Ical told Liputan6.com via phone call held earlier today, Saturday (3/10/2015).

 It has been learned just recently however, that the mission has to be delayed until further notice as joint rescue team yielded reports confirming bad weather likeliness to hinder such mission and pose danger to the joint rescuing team member.(Akp/Ein)