What happened
On 5 September 2005, Mandala Airlines flight MDL 091, a Boeing 737-200 registered PK-RIM, was prepared for a scheduled service from Medan to Jakarta. Following standard procedures, the crew received pushback and engine start clearance at 02:52 UTC and were subsequently cleared to taxi to runway 23 via Alpha. During the takeoff clearance process, the air traffic controller instructed the crew to maintain an altitude of 1500 feet after a left turn; the crew initially read back 1000 feet before correcting the altitude to 1500 feet following an ATC intervention.
As the aircraft began its takeoff roll, witnesses observed that the rotation appeared delayed, with the nose lifting only a few meters before the runway end. The takeoff roll was noted to be longer than typical for this aircraft type. After rotation, the aircraft began to veer unpredictably between left and right directions. The aircraft's left wing subsequently collided with a building before the plane impacted a heavily populated road. The impact was followed by large explosions and intense flames.
This accident resulted in 100 fatalities on board (comprising 95 passengers and 5 crew members), along with 49 fatalities and 26 serious injuries among people on the ground. Among the passengers, 15 sustained serious injuries, while two individuals survived the crash without injury.
Findings
Witness accounts and air traffic control records indicate that the aircraft experienced an unstable flight path characterized by lateral oscillations immediately following rotation, which led to the wing strike and subsequent impact with ground structures and a busy roadway.