Makassar (ANTARA Sulsel) - The Indonesian Air Force from the Sultan Hasanuddin airbase had sent a Boeing 737-300 since the sinking of KM Teratai Prima in the Majene waters, West Sulawesi on Jan 11, for search and rescue of the victims of the sunken ship. Up to the third day after the sea accident, the air force has at least carried out five sorties by the Boeing 737s over the Baturoro waters in Majene regency, West Sulawesi, searching for the victims, chief spokesman for the local air force Major Sus Sonaji Wibowo said in Makassar Tuesday.
The Boeing 737 flown by Major Bambang Sadewo on Jan 13 took off again to the location of the accident for an observation and search.
Although flying as low as 1000 feet (300 meters) above sea level in Majene, the aircraft had not spotted the exact location on the bottom of the sea where the shipwreck is now lying, nor any of the victims.
"Bad weather conditions are posing the most serious obstacle to the search and rescue operations, in the beginning we flew 10,000 feet high, then dropped to 5,000 feet4, and maintained at 3,000 to 1,000 feet in our search operation," Pilot Bambang Sadewo said.
To be sure whether or not there were floating victims, pilot Bambang Sadewo resumed the search and observation until 10 times. But he did not see any floating victim or pieces of the sunken KM Teratai Prima.
Next step was to contact the warship Hasan Basri, which had found and picked up a dead victim.
Pilot Bambang Sadewo said he had diffulties in conducting the search operation due to very bad weather. The high rainfall in South Sulawesi and West Sulawesi had significantly disrupted the search and rescue operations.
The 1996 graduate of the Air Force Academy estimated that the shipwreck was still in the location, as the Majene Bay is about 500 meters deep.
To locate the position of the sunken ship, it would be necessary to operate a ship equipped with a sonar equipment which can spot objects on the bottom of the ocean, while a Boeing 737 of the air force detects only objects on the surface of the sea, he said.
With regard to the time limit for the search and rescue operation, he said it all depends on the instruction of his superiors.
The accident of KM Teratai Prima with its 250 passengers and crew in Baturoro waters, Majene regency, West Sulawesi on Jan 11, had prompted many circles to join the search and rescue efforts.
In its aerial observation with the Boeing 737-200 of the Air Force over the Baturoro waters on Jan 13, the pilots saw tens of fishing boats and the warship KRI Hasan Basri engaged in the search and rescue operations.
Some of the fishing boats had even cast their nets in the hope to net victims of the ill-fated ship. (T.SYS/H-NG/H-YH)
The Boeing 737 flown by Major Bambang Sadewo on Jan 13 took off again to the location of the accident for an observation and search.
Although flying as low as 1000 feet (300 meters) above sea level in Majene, the aircraft had not spotted the exact location on the bottom of the sea where the shipwreck is now lying, nor any of the victims.
"Bad weather conditions are posing the most serious obstacle to the search and rescue operations, in the beginning we flew 10,000 feet high, then dropped to 5,000 feet4, and maintained at 3,000 to 1,000 feet in our search operation," Pilot Bambang Sadewo said.
To be sure whether or not there were floating victims, pilot Bambang Sadewo resumed the search and observation until 10 times. But he did not see any floating victim or pieces of the sunken KM Teratai Prima.
Next step was to contact the warship Hasan Basri, which had found and picked up a dead victim.
Pilot Bambang Sadewo said he had diffulties in conducting the search operation due to very bad weather. The high rainfall in South Sulawesi and West Sulawesi had significantly disrupted the search and rescue operations.
The 1996 graduate of the Air Force Academy estimated that the shipwreck was still in the location, as the Majene Bay is about 500 meters deep.
To locate the position of the sunken ship, it would be necessary to operate a ship equipped with a sonar equipment which can spot objects on the bottom of the ocean, while a Boeing 737 of the air force detects only objects on the surface of the sea, he said.
With regard to the time limit for the search and rescue operation, he said it all depends on the instruction of his superiors.
The accident of KM Teratai Prima with its 250 passengers and crew in Baturoro waters, Majene regency, West Sulawesi on Jan 11, had prompted many circles to join the search and rescue efforts.
In its aerial observation with the Boeing 737-200 of the Air Force over the Baturoro waters on Jan 13, the pilots saw tens of fishing boats and the warship KRI Hasan Basri engaged in the search and rescue operations.
Some of the fishing boats had even cast their nets in the hope to net victims of the ill-fated ship. (T.SYS/H-NG/H-YH)