A serious incident occurred in the air in Indonesia when a small plane carrying 15 people encountered technical problems immediately after takeoff. The pilot tried to make an emergency landing on the water.
All passengers and crew were lucky to survive and were evacuated safely.
The Cessna 208B Grand Caravan operated by Smart Air crashed and fell into the sea off Nabire city, Papua Trung province, Indonesia, at about noon local time on January 27.
The plane was operating the Nabire - Kaimana route, carrying 13 passengers and 2 pilots. Shortly after takeoff, the plane encountered a technical problem, forcing the captain to find a way to make an emergency landing in the sea area near Nabire airport.
Video footage recorded at the scene shows the plane still floating on the water, while rescue forces and local people quickly approached to support. Some passengers left the plane, standing on the wings and fuselage waiting to be rescued.
Nabire City Police Chief confirmed that all passengers and two pilots were safe and in stable health.
Meanwhile, PT Smart Jakuvala Aviation - the flight operator - said that the initial cause was determined to be continuous engine power loss, preventing the pilot from returning to the airport.
Currently, Indonesian authorities are conducting a detailed investigation into the cause of the incident, and reviewing the safety standards of the related aircraft.
