Investigators from the National Transportation Safety Commission (KNKT) have arrived at Pondok Cabe airfield in Tangerang to investigate the helicopter crash that killed two technicians earlier Thursday.
The crash site, located in front of Pelita Air's service hangar, was cordoned off and under police guard. Journalists were not allowed to enter the area.
The bodies of the victims, Ahmad Suparja (25) and Sri Setyobudi (42) were taken to Fatmawati Hospital in South Jakarta. The pilot of the twin engine Super-Puma helicopter, Rohman Hadi (50), and a technician who was inside the chopper, HM Hardi (52), survived, but were still suffering from shock.
South Jakarta Police chief Sr. Comr. Chairul Anwar said at the crash site the police had yet to figure out the chronology of the incident.
"What we know so far is they were doing a routine maintenance check. They started up the engine and the pilot began to lift the chopper when it suddenly collapsed," Chairul told journalists, as quoted by tempointeraktif.com.
He said the helicopter's blades had sliced through the two technicians. "It's quite severe, they were cut in two," he said.