Jakarta: A Hawk aircraft of the Indonesian Air Force (TNI AU) that crashed into a residential area in Riau Province on Monday had just completed a combat training mission in Siabu, said TNI AU Commander Marshal Fadjar Prasetyo.
The Hawk 0209 TT fighter aircraft crashed in Siak Hulu, Kampar, Riau Province, after reportedly developing engine trouble.
Providing details of the crash, Prasetyo said three fighter pilots flew their aircrafts to a military training area in Siabu at 7 a.m. on Monday morning, and one of them crashed an hour later while returning to the Roesmin Nurjadin air base in Pekanbaru.
"Three of them (fighter pilots) finished a shooting training, and were returning (to the air base) in order, starting from number 1, 2, and 3. The last one (aircraft) crashed," he informed.
Right before the accident, First Lieutenant Aprianto Ismail, who was piloting the aircraft alone, reported he had encountered a problem: the indicator lamp was on, which pointed to engine trouble, according to Prasetyo.
The pilot also reported hearing an explosion which resulted in the British-make aircraft losing power and crashing to the ground.
The crash site was located two kilometers away from the military base, and the aircraft was at a height of just 500 feet when it crashed into houses, Prasetyo added.
However, no casualties have been reported as the houses were empty. The pilot is in a good condition since he "decided to eject himself using the ejection seat”, he continued.
The debris of the aircraft remains at the crash site, while a crane truck placed there for evacuation has returned.
“The evacuation process may begin in several days, as we need to conduct a further investigation first," Prasetyo informed. (antara)
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