South Sumatra

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.

While descending to Palembang-Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II Airport, the crew encountered foggy conditions that reduced the visibility to 50 meters. On final approach, the airplane descended too low when it struck coconut trees and crashed about 4 km short of runway 28. All four crew members and 21 passengers were killed as well as one people on the ground. All 36 other occupants were injured. The aircraft was destroyed.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

During taxi, the aircraft went off the taxiway, causing a landing gear to collapse when contacting soft ground. There were no casualties but the aircraft was written off.

Between February 27th and March 1st of 1942,(possibly after being attacked by a Japanese fighter) PK-AFZ, has carried out a successful emergency landing in the jungle near the village of Muara Kuang, on the west side of the river Ogan, some 75 kilometers South of Palembang. With 1 engine running, wireless - operator P. Pronk has searched for radio contact with Java and possibly also with Palembang. It is unclear whether there has actually been communication. In the course of the 1st of March 1942, the crew, left their plane and set off on foot in eastern direction to the river Ogan, taking with them a “large amount of gold” belonging to the cargo of the airplane. Not far north of Muara Kuang, on the road towards Seri Kembang, the crew has addressed a local (Sori Bin D.). The crew has asked him to make purchases for them in a toko in nearby Muara Kuang. After doing so the local has joined the crew as a guide. The crew continued their way north following the river Ogan towards Palembang. The next day, while the crew was staying in a shelter near the village of Soeka Tjinta, the local guide went off towards the north to arrange more supplies. In the afternoon he arrived back at the shelter with supplies and a car. Together they followed their way north towards the village of Lubuk Keliat. Some 4 kilometers south of the village they were housed in a Pondok (shelter). On request of the crew the guide went off again to arrange a boat (proa) with rowers in order to make a possible escape following the rivers Ogan and the Kali Mesuji towards the Java Sea in the east. Earlier that day a plan was already forged to rob the crew. In the early evening of March 2nd, 1942, the crew was brought under false pretenses to the other side (east side) of the river by a local criminal named “Loengsin” and another villager named Amir. Probably Amir has arisen as their new guide. In the jungle opposite of kilometer marker 93 and in the vicinity of some gardens, the crew is housed in the Pondok of (guide)Amir. Amir and Loengsin then returned back to the west side of the river. In the early evening ,at the house of Madjid Bin L. which was in the vicinity of Kilometer marker 93, a number of villagers gathered, amongst them Amir, who invited the group to “see” the Europeans on the other side of the river. That evening there have been several people visiting the crew in their Pondok. I think the crew must have felt more and more vulnerable during that night. Although they were armed, they were now clearly in the minority and already 1 of their revolvers had been stolen. Probably with this knowledge the crew abandoned the plan to get away via the Kali Mesuji. They have probably made a trade-off and opted to surrender to the Japanese in Palembang. However, this has never happened. Exhausted and distracted by the regular visits that night, they were awaiting their departure with guide and rowers. One of the crew members, probably Nieuwdorp, was holding guard, armed with a revolver. He has called out to some figures approaching the Pondok in the dark. The remaining crew members stayed quiet. Around 04:00 o'clock in the early morning of March 3, 1942 it has come to a (fire) battle. During this fight in and around the Pondok, captain C. Blaak, engineer M. Veenendaal (or 2nd Pilot W. Nieuwdorp) and the so-called guide Amir were killed. 2nd pilot W. Nieuwdorp (or engineer M. Veenendaal) and wireless-operator P. Pronk were injured but managed to escape. Nieuwdorp (or Veenendaal) has jumped in the river Ogan and drowned , Pronk managed to hide in the surrounding jungle. Later that morning Pronk managed to find protection at the house of the Pasirah (local authority) of the village of Lubuk Keliat. Later that day Pronk and some bags with the belongings of the killed crew members were transported (joined by a group of locals ) to the town of Tandjung Radja to be handed over to the local (dutch) authority. Instead Pronk was handed over to a Japanese patrol that had just entered the town. The wounded and exhausted Pronk was forced to lie down in the sun on the burning hot asphalt all afternoon. In the evening the Japanese took him to a house where they were staying and summoned the local Government doctor, Chinese Dr. Ghan Tjoe Ham, to treat the wounded Pronk at the house. Dr. Ghan treated Pronk on the following two mornings. During these treatments Pronk told him what had happened where they landed and that they were robbed because of the large amount of gold they were carrying. On the third morning (6th of March 1942) the Japanese no longer allowed any treatment, their attitude towards the doctor became hostile. Later that morning they took pronk to the local cemetery and had him dig a shallow grave. Pronk was then forced to kneel down in front of the grave and was then beheaded by a single strike of a Japanese sword. Pronk was left covered by a thin layer of sand, while the Japanese patrol left Tandjung Radja. The remains of Pronk were recovered after the war, the remains of Blaak, Veenendaal and Nieuwdorp were never found, although pointed out by locals during the investigation, their graves remain unknown. All the local perpetrators but local criminal “Loengsin” were arrested and interrogated after the war. Several witnesses have been heard and their statements noted. Nevertheless for unknown reasons nobody has ever been prosecuted for the crimes committed. Most of the files and documents on this case have vanished, amongst them a written report and letter from deceased (in captivity) Controleur Poggemeier of Tandjung Radja containing the full statement of P. Pronk. This important report and some other papers have been handed over by Dr. Ghan Tjoe Ham to a Dutch Navy officer (Tageman) in Lahat in September 1945. 'Officially' no trace of PK-AFZ and its cargo were ever found.
Crew:
C. Blaak, pilot,
H. W. Nieuwdorp, copilot,
Marinus Veenendaal, flight engineer,
P. Pronk, radio operator.

Source and texts: Geert Veenendaal, grandson of Marinus Veenendaal.

After landing on a wet grassy runway, the airplane was unable to stop within the remaining distance, overran and came to a halt. There were no injuries among the crew.