Plane breaks in half in Indonesia, 2 injured

A plane carrying 52 passengers broke in half shortly after landing on the morning of June 10 in Indonesia, injuring two people.

According to Indonesian Transport Ministry spokesman Bambang Ervan, the MA-60 aircraft operated by Merpati Nusantara Airlines crashed as it was landing at an airport in East Nusa Tenggara province.

This was a domestic flight departing from Flores Island to El Tari Airport in Kupang City. The accident occurred at 9:40 a.m. (local time) on June 10, according to Mr. Ervan.

The plane broke in half with the wings and propeller tilted forward - Photo: AFP

Merpati Nusantara Air spokesman Herry Saptanto said there were 52 people on board at the time, including 46 passengers and 6 crew members.

“Two passengers suffered minor injuries from flying glass. They were taken to hospital and are in good condition,” Saptanto said. “The plane was badly damaged, I don’t think it can fly anymore.”

Images from the scene showed the wings and propeller of the Chinese-made plane broken and tilted forward, while the front of the propeller was facing down on the runway.

Today, the number of aircraft operated by Indonesian airlines is increasing rapidly to serve the growing demand from the booming middle class. However, Indonesia's aviation safety record is among the worst in Asia.

In April, a Lion Air jet carrying 108 passengers crashed into the sea while landing on the resort island of Bali and broke in two. Dozens of people were injured in the accident.

In May 2011, another MA-60 aircraft operated by Merpati Nusantara Airlines crashed in West Papua province, killing 25 people. Following the accident, the Indonesian government banned aircraft manufactured by Xi’an Aviation Industry Corporation (China) from landing at three airports with difficult terrain.

However, Mr Saptanto said the ban was lifted six months ago, adding that El Tari was not one of the airports covered by the ban.

Merpati Nusantara Airlines has been banned from flying into European Union airspace since 2007.

According to Tuoi Tre - DT