Susi Air - Incidents and Accidents

Incidents and Accidents

In October 2008, a Diamond DA-40 (registration PK-VVL) from Susi Air made an emergency landing on a firing range in the hilly Army Infantry Training Center compound, some 40 kilometers from the West Java provincial capital Bandung. The pilot was forced to make an emergency landing because of a fuel pump failure. The aircraft's propeller gear was damaged after hitting the ground on the uneven grass field. Besides the Pilot, the airplane was carrying two mechanics to fix another Susi Air airplane that had broken down at Nusawiru airport.

An investigation into this accident was conducted by the Indonesian National Transportation Safety Committee, which found that the pilot was not licensed in Indonesia, and that the accident was caused by fuel starvation due to the failure of a fuel pump. The committee said that Susi Air should ensure all pilots have sufficient licenses and that the engine manufacturer, Thielert, should review its engines in order to prevent similar incidents.

On 9 September 2011 a Cessna 208B Grand Caravan (PK-VVE) was destroyed when it crashed in the Pasema District, Indonesia. Both pilots were killed. The airplane was carrying four drums of diesel fuel and some goods from Wamena to a remote airstrip. It failed to arrive at the destination. The wreckage was found in mountainous terrain in the Yahukimo District. The name of the airstrip has been named as Kenyem and Kenyam in Indonesian media. This is the same airstrip which is named Keneyan in the Australian Defence Force's Tactical Airfield Guide of the region.

Also on the same day, 9 September 2011, another Cessna 208B Grand Caravan (PK-BVQ) was mistakenly reported to have slid off the runway at Kupang's El Tari airport. The aircraft suffered a flat tyre during landing and was stuck on the runway. As ground personnel arrived at the aircraft, the decision was made to push the aircraft off the runway in order to reopen the runway. The pictures taken of the aircraft on the grass led to a story of a runway excursion. This incident resulted in the aircraft blocking the runway for 50 minutes causing two Boeing 737 commercial flights to divert to Makassar, Sulawesi.

On 23 November 2011 a Cessna 208B Grand Caravan (PK-VVG) was destroyed after a go-around at Sugapa Airport in Nabire, Papua, killing the aircraft's co-pilot and leaving the pilot with severe injuries; the two crew were the only people on the aircraft, which was operating a cargo flight. The plane crash occurred after avoiding a runway jaywalker at a poorly managed runway in the Bintang Mountains in West Papua. The pilot decided to fly back up, but the area was surrounded by mountains and cliffs, causing the accident. The exact cause of the accident however will be determined after further investigation. The National Transport Safety Comittee released final report on the accident in April 16, 2013.

On April 25, 2012 a PC 6 (PK VVQ) crashed in Kalimantan Timur, Melak district killing the pilot and passenger(s) which was engaged in Aerial Survey of the area. The aircraft was reported missing at 1710 LT on the 25th April with the wreckage found on the 26th April confirming the condition of the occupants/aircraft.

As a result of this safety record, United States Embassy personnel as of May 2012 are prohibited from flying on Susi Air.