Plane wreck found in Sumatra, with hope for 18 on board
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Rescuers held out hope on Friday that some of the 18 people aboard a plane that crashed in the mountains of western Indonesia may be alive, after spotting the aircraft intact with one of its doors open.
Rugged, forested terrain and bad weather have prevented rescuers from reaching the crash site by foot, said Sunarbowo Sandi, head of the local search-and-rescue team, after carrying out 100m-high aerial surveys.
"We may have to rappel down" to the wreckage, he said.
The Spanish-designed CASA C-212 lost contact with air traffic control early yesterday while flying from North Sumatra to Aceh province. Minutes later, it sent out a distress signal, then dropped off the radar.
A helicopter spotted the wreckage on a 60-degree slope in the Bahorok region at an altitude of 5,000 feet (1,524 meters).
Though the plane's nose and cockpit were badly damaged, the fuselage and wings were intact, said Robur Rizallianto, a safety manager with the airline, PT Nusantara Buana Air.
"One of its doors is open," he said, holding out hope that it could mean some of the 14 passengers and four crew on board were alive.
Four of the passengers were children.
The aircraft, made in Indonesia in 1989, was last inspected Sept 22, Mr Rizallianto said. It was in good condition, and a check ahead of takeoff yesterday also came up clean, he said.
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