A Merpati plane carrying 46 people had a crash landing, slamming both engines onto the runway at an airport in eastern Indonesia on Monday, and though no one died, there were some injuries, according to an airport official, who spoke to the New Zealand Herald.
The aircraft, a Chinese-made Xian MA60 twin turboprop aircraft, was operated by the state-run Merpati airlines. The aircraft was landing at El Tari airport in the East Nusa Tenggara capital of Kupang, said Imam Pramono, an airport spokesperson. The flight originated in Bajawa on Flores Island, which is located at the eastern edge of Indonesia.
Eight people were injured, according to witnesses. All the injuries were taken to the air force hospital for medical treatment. The airport will be closed until the aircraft can be removed from the runway, said Pramono.
The official cause of the hard landing is under investigation, but photographs show both of the planes engines tilted down onto the runway while the nose gear appears to be missing.
Indonesia has been suffering many aircraft problems recently. It is one of the fastest growing air travel markets, but has a spotty safety record. The National Transportation Safety Committee has urged the budget carrier to immediately address the safety concerns by providing additional training for pilots during critical landing times.
In April, a Lion Air plane carrying 101 passengers and seven crewmembers crash landed in the ocean off the coast of eastern Indonesia. No one was killed and rescue workers were able to get all the passengers to safety.
Prior to that, in May 2011, another MA360 aircraft flown by Merpati crashed into the ocean, also off the coast of eastern Indonesia, killing all 25 people on board.
The European Union banned Indonesian airlines in 2007 due to a lack of compliance with international safety rules. As improvements have been made, the restriction has been lifted for carriers as they comply. Lion Air and Merpati are still banned.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
