Palembang

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Jakarta - Singapore

MSN:

28556

YOM:

1997

Flight number:

MI185

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

104

Captain / Total flying hours:

7173

Captain / Total hours on type:

3614.00

Copilot / Total flying hours:

2501

Copilot / Total hours on type:

2311

Aircraft flight hours:

2238

Aircraft flight cycles:

1306

Circumstances:

On 19 December 1997, a SilkAir Boeing B737-300 aircraft, registration 9V-TRF, was on a scheduled commercial international passenger flight under Instrument Flight Rules (IFR), routing Singapore – Jakarta – Singapore. The flight from Singapore to Jakarta operated normally. After completing a normal turnaround in Jakarta the aircraft departed Soekarno-Hatta International Airport for the return leg. At 08:37:13 (15:37:13 local time) the flight (MI185) took off from Runway 25R with the Captain as the handling pilot. The flight received clearance to climb to 35,000 feet (Flight Level 350) and to head directly to Palembang. At 08:47:23 the aircraft passed FL245. Ten seconds later, the crew requested permission to proceed directly to PARDI2. The air traffic controller instructed MI 185 to standby, to continue flying directly to Palembang and to report when reaching FL350. At 08:53:17, MI185 reported reaching FL350. Subsequently, the controller cleared MI185 to proceed directly to PARDI and to report when abeam Palembang. At 09:05:15.6, the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) ceased recording. According to the Jakarta ATC transcript, at 09:10:18 the controller informed MI 185 that it was abeam Palembang. The controller instructed the aircraft to maintain FL350 and to contact Singapore Control when at PARDI. The crew acknowledged this call at 09:10:26. There were no further voice transmissions from MI 185. The last readable data from the flight data recorder (FDR) was at 09:11:27.4. Jakarta ATC radar recording showed that MI185 was still at FL350 at 09:12:09. The next radar return, eight seconds later, indicated that MI185 was 400 feet below FL350 and a rapid descent followed. The last recorded radar data at 09:12:41 showed the aircraft at FL195. The empennage of the aircraft subsequently broke up in flight and the aircraft crashed into the Musi river delta, about 50 km (30 nm) north-northeast of Palembang at about 09:13. The accident occurred in daylight and in good weather conditions. All 104 occupants were killed. The accident was not survivable.

Probable cause:

- The NTSC investigation into the MI 185 accident was a very extensive, exhaustive and complex investigation to find out what happened, how it happened, and why it happened. It was an extremely difficult investigation due to the degree of destruction of the aircraft resulting in highly fragmented wreckage, the difficulties presented by the accident site and the lack of information from the flight recorders during the final moments of the accident sequence.
- The NTSC accident investigation team members and participating organizations have done the investigation in a thorough manner and to the best of their conscience, knowledge and professional expertise, taking into consideration all available data and information recovered and gathered during the investigation.
- Given the limited data and information from the wreckage and flight recorders, the NTSC is unable to find the reasons for the departure of the aircraft from its cruising level of FL350 and the reasons for the stoppage of the flight recorders.
- The NTSC has to conclude that the technical investigation has yielded no evidence to explain the cause of the accident.

Final Report:

Crash of a Fokker F28 Fellowship 1000 on Mt Sibayak: 61 killed

Date & Time: Jul 11, 1979 at 1900 LT

Type of aircraft:

Fokker F28 Fellowship

Operator:

Registration:

PK-GVE

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Palembang - Medan

MSN:

11055

YOM:

1972

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

14154

Aircraft flight cycles:

14084

Circumstances:

The Fellowship christened 'Mamberamo' departed Palembang Airport at 1732LT on a schedule flight to Medan. After the crew was cleared for an NDB approach to runway 05 at Polonia Airport, he started the descent in a limited visibility. While descending at an altitude of 5,560 feet by night, the airplane struck the slope of Mt Sibayak (2,194 meters high) located about 38 km southwest of Medan-Polonia Airport. The aircraft was totally destroyed upon impact and all 61 occupants were killed.

Probable cause:

For unknown reasons, the crew started the descent prematurely and continued the approach below the glide, resulting in a controlled flight into terrain. The lack of visibility was considered as a contributing factor.

Crash of a Fokker F27 Friendship 600 in Bandar Lampung: 33 killed

Date & Time: Sep 7, 1974

Type of aircraft:

Fokker F27 Friendship

Operator:

Registration:

PK-GFJ

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Palembang - Bandar Lampung - Jakarta

MSN:

10422

YOM:

1969

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

8737

Aircraft flight cycles:

6976

Circumstances:

While descending to Bandar Lampung-Branti Airport, the crew encountered poor weather conditions. On final, the airplane passed below the glide when it struck a building and crashed in flames. Three passengers were rescued while 33 other occupants were killed, among them all four crew members.

Probable cause:

It was determined that the pilot descended below the glide in low visibility without any visual contact with the runway and/or the ground. The crew continued at an unsafe altitude and failed to initiate a go-around manoeuvre.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-25-DK in Palembang: 17 killed

Date & Time: Jan 1, 1966

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

PK-GDU

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Medan – Palembang

MSN:

13463

YOM:

1944

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

While approaching Palembang-Sultan Badaruddin II Airport, the airplane collided with a second Garuda C-47 registered PK-GDE. Inbound from Jakarta, the second aircraft was also carrying 13 passengers and four crew members. Following the collision, both aircraft went out of control and crashed in a swampy area. All 34 occupants on both aircraft were killed.

Probable cause:

It is believed the collision was caused by the fact that both crew failed to pay sufficient attention to potential traffic while approaching the same airport at the same time. Poor ATC assistance may have been a contributing factor.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-80-DL in Palembang: 17 killed

Date & Time: Jan 1, 1966

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

PK-GDE

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Jakarta – Palembang

MSN:

19719

YOM:

1944

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

While approaching Palembang-Sultan Badaruddin II Airport, the airplane collided with a second Garuda C-47 registered PK-GDU. Inbound from Medan, the second aircraft was also carrying 13 passengers and four crew members. Following the collision, both aircraft went out of control and crashed in a swampy area. All 34 occupants on both aircraft were killed.

Probable cause:

Crash of an Antonov AN-12BP in Palembang: 3 killed

Date & Time: Oct 16, 1964

Type of aircraft:

Antonov AN-12

Operator:

Registration:

T-1202

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Shortly after takeoff from Palembang Airport, while climbing, the airplane went out of control and crashed in a field located few km from the airfield. Three occupants were killed while 13 others were injured. The aircraft was destroyed. It was on its way to a military ceremony, carrying dancers and TV journalists.

Ground accident of a Convair CV-240-23 in Palembang

Date & Time: Feb 27, 1962

Type of aircraft:

Convair CV-240

Operator:

Registration:

PK-GCB

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

MSN:

172

YOM:

1950

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Suffered a ground accident at Palembang Airport. There were no injuries but the aircraft was written off.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-25-DK in Palembang: 1 killed

Date & Time: Dec 24, 1959 at 1200 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

PK-GDV

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Cargo

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Palembang – Jakarta

MSN:

13535

YOM:

1944

Flight number:

GA330

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

About 13 minutes after takeoff from Palembang Airport, the crew reported the failure of the right engine and elected to return for a safe landing. In marginal weather conditions, the captain descended through the clouds with a rate of 300 feet per minute and after passing the last cloud layer, the aircraft banked right and crashed in a swampy area located 5 km short of runway threshold. A pilot was killed while the second crew was injured. The aircraft was destroyed.

Probable cause:

Failure of the right engine, a lack of precaution on the part of the captain and marginal weather. A contributing factor may have been the overloaded condition of the aircraft, however, not to such an extent that it forced the aircraft to descend to a dangerously low altitude.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-70-DL in Jambi

Date & Time: Nov 25, 1954 at 1505 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

PK-DPD

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Jakarta – Palembang – Jambi

MSN:

19279

YOM:

1943

Location:

Jambi

Country:

Indonesia

Region:

Asia

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Following an uneventful flight from Jakarta via Palembang, the crew started the approach to Jambi Airport. After touchdown, the aircraft encountered difficulties to stop and overran. While contacting a soft ground, the airplane lost its undercarriage and came to rest in a muddy field. All 22 occupants were evacuates safely while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Probable cause:

The probable cause of this accident was poor technique on the part of the captain, in landing the aircraft too far down the slippery runway at an excessive speed. A contributing factor to the accident was an error of judgment on the part of the captain who failed to execute a missed-approach procedure.

Final Report:

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-20-DK Dakota C.3 in Palembang

Date & Time: Sep 28, 1945

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

KG560

Flight Phase:

Taxiing

Flight Type:

Cargo

Survivors:

Site: