A three-day search for a missing helicopter ended in tragedy after the aircraft was found crashed and burning in the mountainous forests of Meratus, Tanahbumbu, killing all eight people on board, including the pilot, engineer, and passengers.
The BK117-D3 helicopter, registration PK-RGH, operated by Eastindo Airlines, went missing after departing Sjamsir Alam Airport in Kotabaru on Monday morning, bound for Tjilik Riwut Airport in Palangka Raya, Central Kalimantan.
The wreckage was located by search and rescue (SAR) teams at coordinates 03° 5’6” S – 115° 37’39.07” E in a remote, difficult-to-access forest area.
SAR volunteer Ilham described the scene as harrowing, with some bodies intact while others were burned. “We found two bodies intact and three badly burned inside the helicopter. All had passed away,” he told local media on Thursday.
Basarnas Operations Director, First Admiral Yudhi Bramantyo, added that one victim was found about 100 meters from the wreckage on Wednesday afternoon. “Preliminary observations indicate there may still be victims inside the helicopter, but the number is uncertain due to heavy rain and darkness. The helicopter was burning,” he said.
A total of 260 rescue personnel were deployed at the site from Wednesday night to recover all victims.
The helicopter disappeared from radar roughly 10 minutes after takeoff at 8:46 a.m. local time and was scheduled to arrive in Palangka Raya at 10:14 a.m.
Indonesia, an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands, relies heavily on air transport but has a poor aviation safety record, with several fatal accidents recorded in recent years.
