Indonesian Transport Minister Budi Karya has ordered local airlines Lion Air and Garuda to inspect their Boeing 737 MAX 8 airplanes. (Photo : AFP/VNA) Jakarta (VNA) – Indonesian Transport Minister Budi Karya has ordered local airlines Lion Air and Garuda to inspect their Boeing 737 MAX 8 airplanes in the context that authorities continue investigation and search for victims of Lion Air plane crash on October 29.
A letter was sent to Lion Air and Garuda, asking them to carry out inspections, and the results will be sent to the National Transportation Safety Committee (NTSC), he told press on October 30.
Lion Air is believed to have eight Boeing 737 Max aircraft while Garuda has one.
“We understand that the pilot made a return to base request. There are things that need clarification. Before we analyse the crew’s actions and the possibility of human error, we must first perform an analysis of the plane”, he said.
Meanwhile, Lion Air said it will meet a team from the US plane maker Boeing on October 31 to discuss the fate of its 737 MAX 8 that crashed into the sea on October 29 minutes after takeoff from Jakarta airport.
“We have many questions for them. This was a new plane”, a Vietnam News Agency correspondent quoted Lion Air Director Daniel Putut as saying.
Lion Air will evaluate its pilots, operating and technical teams and relevant resources.
Earlier, Boeing announced that it is ready to provide technical assistance at the request and under the direction of local authorities investigating the accident.
As of October 30, rescuers at the crash site off the waters of Karawang, West Java, sent a total 37 bags containing victims’ body parts for DNA testing. Personal items, including 52 identification cards, passports and bank cards, were found.
According to Basarnas Budi Nogroho, a representative from the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas), the weather is now favourable for search and rescue activities which are carried out around the clock.
The Boeing 737 Max 8 of low-cost carrier Lion Air, which was carrying 189 people on board, lost contact with air traffic control just 13 minutes after takeoff. The jet was en route from Jakarta to Pangkalpinang in Bangka Belitung province, off Sumatra island.-VNA
VNA
