Smart Air's missing plane and crew found in Indonesia's North Kalimantan forest

JAKARTA: The Indonesian rescue team discovered two crew members and Pilatus aircraft of Smart Air that went missing last Friday in the nearby forest of Benuang, Nunukan, on Sunday, an official said.

The PT Smart Aviation aircraft, carrying essential goods bound for Krayan, Nunukan, lost contact three hours after departing from Juwata Tarakan Airport last Friday morning.

The Tarakan Search and Rescue Office (Basarnas) confirmed that aircraft engineer Deni Sobali, 27, was found deceased, while Pilot Captain M. Yusuf, 29, was discovered alive following the crash.

Basarnas Tarakan head Syahril in a statement noted that the pilot was taken to Malinau, while the engineer's body was transported to Tarakan before being sent to the hospital.

A rappelling technique was employed during the rescue operation at 4.36 pm local time, involving the deployment of 10 rescuers consisting of personnel from Basarnas, police, and the military.

The rescue team also utilised an air force-owned Boeing 737-200 aircraft to locate the crash site, and two military-owned helicopters were deployed during the evacuation process.

-- BERNAMA