Indonesian Plane Crash Could Hurt China’s Aircraft Sales

May. 10 – An Indonesian MA60 turbo-prop plane carrying 27 people crashed into the ocean off the country’s easternmost Papua Province on May 7, leaving no survivors according to a navy officer’s confirmation. As the first fatal accident reported for this model, which was developed and made in China, the crash may temporarily set back the plane’s improving sales records worldwide.

According to Transport Ministry official Bambang Ervan, the aircraft, operated by Merpati Nusantara Airlines, was enroute to the small port town of Kaimana from the coastal city of Songrongand with 21 passengers and six crew on board when it crashed 500 meters short of the runway.

An unnamed navy officer, who joined the survivor search and rescue, confirmed to ElShinta radio that all the passengers were killed, as the plane exploded and crashed into the sea.

While the actual cause of the crash has not been released, Ervan indicated “the weather was pretty bad at the time.” The plane’s Chinese maker, AVIC Xi’an Aircraft Industry (Group) Company Ltd (XAC), said it has sent out a working team for a joint investigation into the cause of the wreckage.

On 11 January 2009, Zest Airways Flight 865, a Xian MA60 with 22 passengers three crew aboard, undershot runway 06 when it landed at Godofredo P. Ramos Airport, swerved sharply to the left when it touched the runway after the initial impact and hit a concrete barrier seriously damaging its nose. The plane's landing gear and propellers also suffered major damage. Three people were injured. There were no fatalities.[8]
On June 25, 2009, Zest Airways Flight 863, a Xian MA60 with 54 passengers and five crew aboard, overshot the runway when it landed at Godofredo P. Ramos Airport. There were no injuries.[9]
On 3 November 2009, Xian MA60 UM-239 of Air Zimbabwe hit five warthogs on take-off from Harare International Airport. The take-off was successfully aborted but the undercarriage collapsed, causing substantial damage to the aircraft.[10][11]
On March 18, 2011, TAM – Transporte Aéreo Militar a Xian MA60 (with Bolivian registration FAB-96) with 33 passengers and crew aboard, performed an emergency landing without locked nose landing gear in the airport of the touristic Amazonian village of Rurrenabaque, on arrival from La Paz. No injuries were reported.[12][13]
On 7 May 2011 Merpati Nusantara Airlines Flight 8968 (with Indonesian registration PK-MZK) went into sea only 500 metres from the runway[14] in bad weather with poor visibility on visual approach to Kaimana Airport, Kaimana, West Papua in Indonesia. It had left Sorong Airport with 21 passengers and 6 crew members on board. [15] All passengers and crew were killed, making this the first reported fatal accident for the Xian MA60.

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.