Key facts
- An Indonesian army Mi-17V5 helicopter crashed on November 4 during firefighting operations in Central Kalimantan, killing 3 Indonesian crew members
- A Super Puma H-225 contracted by BNPB crashed into the Barito River in South Kalimantan on November 8, killing 1 Indonesian crew member
- The Super Puma, registered VH-HGM, lost altitude while collecting water with a suspended bucket, according to video footage described in the body
- Rescuers recovered the body of Yayan Supyansuri at approximately 6:08 p.m. local time on November 8, per the Banjarmasin Search and Rescue Office
- The government ordered a review of aerial firefighting efforts following the two crashes
JAKARTA, Nov 10 (Reuters) - Two helicopter crashes in five days have killed four people involved in Indonesia's aerial firefighting effort, prompting the government to order a review of the operations.
The first crash occurred on November 4, when an Indonesian army Mi-17V5 transport helicopter went down in Seruyan Regency, Central Kalimantan. According to the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB), three Indonesian crew members died in that incident.
The second crash took place on Sunday, November 8, in the Barito River near Tabatan village in the Kuripan district of South Kalimantan. The helicopter, identified as a Super Puma H-225 registered VH-HGM, was a privately owned aircraft contracted by BNPB for water-bombing missions. It had been collecting water with a suspended bucket when it lost altitude and plunged into the river.
An Indonesian crew member, Helicopter Landing Officer Yayan Supyansuri, initially reported missing, was found dead. His body was recovered at approximately 6:08 p.m. local time, according to I Putu Sudayana, head of the Banjarmasin Search and Rescue Office. Two other crew members, Australian pilot Michael John Betteridge and New Zealander Hugh Andrew John Page, were rescued from the river and taken to an Indonesian Air Force hospital for treatment. BNPB had initially reported that all three crew members survived, later correcting its account.
The two crashes have drawn attention to the risks faced by those fighting Indonesia's forest fires. On the ground, volunteer firefighters have described inadequate protective equipment, scarce water supplies and peatland fires that can erupt beneath their feet. The government has ordered a review of aerial firefighting operations following the incidents.