A jet from Indonesia's state carrier Garuda crashed and burst into flames on landing at Yogyakarta airport on Wednesday morning, an airline spokesman said. (Graphic/Reuters)
Posted on 03/06/2007 4:58:18 PM PST by NormsRevenge
Okay, it was Garuda. I've had a few hair-raising experiences with them.
One time (2004), as we were flying into Bali from Jayapura, my youngest daughter (14 at the time and knew better) thought she'd have some fun. As we were about to touch down on the runway, she yelled, "Crash position!" and ducked her head down between her hands. The looks on people's faces was priceless. Our seatmate was started and a bit scared until he saw me laughing. Then, sheepish smiles appeared as people around us realized the kid wasn't serious but just playing.
I am so thankful this wasn't a US airline at the time. They ain't got NO sense of humor.
A jet from Indonesia's state carrier Garuda crashed and burst into flames on landing at Yogyakarta airport on Wednesday morning, an airline spokesman said. (Graphic/Reuters)
I took them to Bali from LA with a HNL stop then a bizzare 3 am or so stop in Biak. We all deplaned went to the gift shop, watched a bunch of dancers, then groggily got back on board.
That must have been a few years ago. As I understand it the stops in Biak have been discontinued. Come to think of it, Garuda doesn't fly out of the US anymore. They stopped around 1997, something we did made Indon mad. If they've restarted again, I would like to know.
Plane catches fire in Indonesia, 8 die
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070307/ap_on_re_as/indonesia_jetliner_fire;_ylt=AgdIF93kWu64tSYt0XNQPRhvaA8F
JAKARTA, Indonesia - A commercial jetliner carrying more than 100 people caught fire as it landed at an airport on Indonesia's Java island on Wednesday, an airline official and witnesses said. At least 8 people were killed, an airport official said.
The Boeing 737-400 was carrying an undetermined number of Australian journalists and diplomatic staff who were in Indonesia with the country's foreign minister, said Australian Treasurer Peter Costello. The foreign minister was reportedly not on the plane.
"I saw at least eight corpses piled up at the front of the plane," said Capt. Yos Biantoro, who was at the scene of the fire at Yogyakarta airport in central Java.
Yeah, the Biak stops were for the 747-200, they were done away with when they got the MD-11's. After the currency crash, GA nearly folded, and stopped LAX service but they rebuilt and were doing pretty well as of late.
Ping - Australians on board
Thanks for the ping and updates appreciated RDTF.
Smoke pours from the wreckage of a plane at Yogyakarta airport in this March 7, 2007 video grab. (METRO TV via REUTERS TV/Reuters)
video from crash site, on the left
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070307/ts_nm/indonesia_plane_dc_4;_ylt=Am5uOEvUjBohpqofMqWUFbiaK8MA
Thank you for that photo, Norm.
People look at the wreckage of a plane at Yogyakarta airport in this March 7, 2007 video grab. The jet from Indonesia's state carrier Garuda crashed and burst into flames on landing on Wednesday morning, an airline spokesman said. He gave no other details, but the Indonesia state news agency Antara said the plane crashed and exploded at 0700 (0000 GMT) and passengers were trapped inside the burning fuselage. REUTERS/METRO TV via REUTERS TV (INDONESIA).
http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,21340110-5001021,00.html
Fire jet Aussies still missing
By Cindy Wockner in Indonesia and wires
March 07, 2007 12:00
AT least 76 of the 140 people on the Garuda jet that crashed have been taken to hospital - but up to 54 are feared dead.
It is still unclear how many of the Australians aboard the crashed Garuda jet were hurt.
"There appears to have been a significant loss of life," Prime Minister John Howard said.
"There were up to 10 Australians on board and not all of those have been accounted for.''
Foreign Minister Alexander Downer is on his way to the scene in a RAAF aircraft.
Many of the Aussies aboard were Mr Downer's staff - diplomats from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade - with their Indonesian counterparts plus Australian police and journalists.
Mr Howard said he had spoken to Mr Downer and had given the nod for Australia to provide emergency aid for the injured.
"I've given authority for any aircraft, medical assistance and the like that is needed - not only for the Australians but for others involved in the accident - to be made available immediately,'' he said.
The Garuda passenger jet, GA-200, had left Jakarta at 6am local time for Yogjakarta, in the central province of Java.
Survivors said there were up to three bangs then it burst into flames just before it landed at Yogjakarta.
Some of the 140 people on board escaped the burning aircraft - a Boeing 737-200 - but more were trapped inside. Witnesses say only the tail fin was left undamaged.
Do you know anybody involved or in the area? Contact our newsdesk on 02 9288 3413 or via the feedback form below.
There were at least five members of the Australian media on board the plane, which was transporting journalists and officials from the Australian Federal Police and Department of Foreign Affairs and Tourism ahead of a visit by Foreign Minister Alexander Downer.
It is understood Cynthia Banham, a foreign affairs reporter for the Sydney Morning Herald, has been taken to hospital but is not in a serious condition.
A local cameraman working for the Seven network escaped with a broken leg, sources said in Canberra, while another cameraman working for the ABC also was injured in the legs.
Most of those on board were diplomatic staff from both Canberra and Jakarta, who were part of a trip flying in advance of Mr Downer's mission to Indonesia. There were also RAAF representatives.
Treasurer Peter Costello said Mr Downer was not involved.
"Obviously it's a tragedy,'' he added. "I don't have any further details at this time but the Department of Foreign Affairs will be trying to get further information.''
Mr Downer had been scheduled to visit the central Javanese province for a series of meetings - including one with the Muhammadiyah, the region's largest Muslim organisation, and with the Sultan of Yogjakarta.
As he flew to the scene this afternoon, harrowing tales continued to come from witnesses and survivors.
"The plane is burnt. The fire came suddenly from the front wheel,'' one witness, Hariman, said on ElShinta radio.
One passenger who survived told local TV station RCTI TV that "before landing I felt the plane shake strongly''.
"We overshot the runway, then I heard the sound of an explosion and ran through an emergency exit,'' continued passenger Muhammad Dimyati.
"I believe many passengers remained trapped on board.''
Another, local Islamic leader Dien Syamsudin, told how he jumped to safety.
"Before the plane landed it was shaking. Suddenly there was smoke inside the fuselage, it hit the runway and then it landed in a rice field," he said.
"I saw a foreigner. His clothes were on fire and I jumped from the emergency exit. Thank God I survived.''
Local radio says dozens were killed and officials have confirmed ten dead - although it is feared the body count will rise.
Another passenger who escaped the blaze told ElShinta radio there were still passengers aboard as the fire raged.
Operations director of national carrier Garuda Captain Ari Sapari said authorities were trying to rescue passengers.
"It caught alight when it landed,'' he said giving no more details.
Indonesia's flight safety record has come under renewed scrutiny since an Adam Air Boeing 737-400 with 102 people on board crashed into the sea off the island of Sulawesi on New Year's Day with no survivors.
More to come
Thank you RDTF for that update.
Flames engulf Indonesian jet, killing 20
CHRIS BRUMMITT, Associated Press Writer
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070307/ap_on_re_as/indonesia_jetliner_fire
JAKARTA, Indonesia - An Indonesian jetliner carrying 140 people burst into flames as it landed on Java island on Wednesday, trapping a number of people inside the burning plane, the airline and witnesses said. Officials reported at least 20 dead and dozens injured. The Garuda airlines jet shook violently as it prepared to land and then overshot the runway, hitting fences and slamming into a rice field shortly before 7 a.m., survivors said.
Some passengers escaped and rescuers tried to reach those trapped on the Boeing 737-400, said Capt. Ari Sapari, operations director of national carrier Garuda.
Twenty charred bodies were pulled from the wreckage after firefighters worked for two hours to put out the blaze, Bambang Sugito, general manager of Yogyakarta airport in central Java, told el-Shinta radio.
Several passengers told local media that most on board survived the crash. Metro TV reported that a nearby hospital was treating around 60 injured. The state-owned airline said that 140 passengers and crew were on board.
Among the passengers were Australian journalists and diplomatic staff who were in Indonesia in connection with a visit by Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer, said Australian Treasurer Peter Costello in Canberra. The foreign minister was not on the plane.
"There appears to have been a significant loss of life," said Australian Prime Minister John Howard. "There were up to 10 Australians on board and not all of those have been accounted for."
There was no immediate word on what sparked the blaze. Survivors said it began at the front the plane before engulfing the aircraft.
"Before the plane landed it was shaking. Suddenly there was smoke inside the fuselage, it hit the runway and then it landed in a rice field," local Islamic leader Dien Syamsudin told El-Shinta. "I saw a foreigner. His clothes were on fire and I jumped from the emergency exit. Thank God I survived."
BBC World television carried footage of raging flames poking through several windows of the passenger compartment.
Another survivor told local TV station RCTI TV that "before landing I felt the plane shake strongly."
"We overshot the runway, then I heard the sound of an explosion and ran through an emergency exit," continued passenger Muhammad Dimyati. "I believe many passengers remained trapped on board."
Indonesia has been hit by a string of transportation disasters in recent months. In late December, a passenger ferry sank in a storm in the Java Sea, killing more than 400 people. Days later, a passenger plane operated by the budget airline Adam Air crashed into the ocean, killing all 102 people on board. A ship that sank near the capital's port left at least 50 dead.
The government responded by saying it would ban local commercial airlines from operating planes more than 10 years old, though most experts say maintenance and the number of takeoffs and landings are the most important factors in preventing accidents.
:-)
Raw video of plane crash:
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=ef4_1173271725&p=1
AirBus must really be pressuring countries to replace their 737s was my first thought, remembering an article over the weekend.
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