Navy salvages missing aircraft

The Jakarta Post , Jakarta | Fri, 06/29/2007 10:25 AM

JAKARTA: The Indonesian Navy managed Thursday to salvage a missing N-22 Nomad maritime patrol aircraft from the seabed of waters off Mapur Island in Riau Islands province.

However, Navy divers were unable to find the remains of Maj. Suwelo Wibisono, who piloted the ill-fated plane that went missing in 1987.

Divers attached 20 barrels and four inflatable balloons to float the wreckage, which was resting some 20 meters below sea level when first sighted by local fishermen.

""The airplane is still submerged, floating a few meters below the sea surface,"" Western Fleet Air Unit chief Col. Subariyoto told detik.com news portal Thursday.

The wrecked plane is badly damaged at its nose and tail. It is currently being towed by a Navy Rempang patrol boat to the Tanjung Pinang Main Naval Base. -- JP

Navy to raise sunken airplane

The Jakarta Post , Jakarta | Wed, 06/20/2007 9:48 AM

JAKARTA: The Indonesian Navy is sending a warship to survey an area believed to be the location of an N22S Nomad surveillance airplane that went down in the waters off Mapur Island in Riau Islands province 20 years ago, an officer said as quoted by Detik.com news portal on Tuesday.

""We will have a briefing with Navy divers scheduled to arrive here in Tanjung Pinang on Wednesday from Jakarta,"" commander of the Tanjung Pinang Main Naval Base, Commodore Among Martono, said.

""There is no need to hurry to evacuate the airplane as we already know the location.""

The Australian-made surveillance aircraft was piloted by Maj. Suwelo Wibisono when it went down. The wreckage was found by local fishermen last Friday.

The plane's crew and passengers survived the accident and were rescued by a Singaporean warship under surveillance by the ill-fated airplane for entering Indonesian waters. -- JP