TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Indonesian Air Force confirmed the retrieval of flight recorders of its two EMB-314 Super Tucano tactical fighter aircraft that crashed in Pasuruan District, East Java, on Thursday, November 16, 2023.

Head of the Air Force's Information Service, Air Commodore R. Agung Sasongkojati, stated that the flight recording devices recovered were video data recorders (VDR) and network centric data cartridges (NCDC).

“These devices are ready to be transported to Abdulrachman Saleh Air Base. We have recovered the devices of both of the aircraft,” he remarked in Malang City, East Java, on Saturday, November 18, 2023.

Sasongkojati expressed hope that the retrieval of the devices would help the military obtain initial data on what caused the two aircraft to crash.

He explained that the flight recorders stored various types of data, such as video of the flight, pilots’ communication, and the performance, speed, altitude, and engine condition of the aircraft prior to the crashes.

The military officer then affirmed that his side would carry out the investigation process optimally according to the applicable procedures.

“We cannot merely pay attention to the engines in investigating (incidents involving) modern planes. Instead, we must take into account the condition of the crew, machines, mission, management, and weather,” he noted.

He also urged people to inform the Air Force if they had any video that captured the aircraft’s maneuvers, as it would be instrumental for the investigation process.

“We would like to ask those who possess images and videos related to the aircraft’s maneuvers, especially when they flew over the mountainous area, to inform us,” he remarked.

Brazilian Super Tucano EMB-314/A-29 turboprop light fighter. (TNI AU)

Two Super Tucano aircraft, bearing tail numbers TT-3111 and TT-3103, crashed in Pasuruan, East Java, on Thursday at around 12:00 p.m. local time, during a routine training session.

Both planes took off at 10:51 a.m. local time and went missing at 11:18 a.m. local time after performing a formation maneuver and penetrating clouds.

Four flight crew members -- Air Commodore Subhan, Air Commodore Widiono Hadiwijaya, Colonel Sandhra Gunawan, and Lieutenant Colonel Yuda A. Seta -- died following the crashes.

ANTARA

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