What happened
On 5 October 2007, a Fletcher FU24-950M, operated by PT. Sinar Mas Super Air and registered PK-PNZ, was performing aerial fertilization and spraying operations over the Rokan Estate in Pekanbaru, Riau. The day's operations were split into two distinct sessions. The first session, which took place during the early morning, consisted of 27 flight cycles lasting approximately three hours and was completed without incident.
During the second session, the aircraft departed from runway 18 at 0CO5:00 UTC. Shortly after takeoff, the pilot initiated a left-hand turn toward the designated fertilization area located to the left of the runway. During this maneuver, the pilot reported encountering strong wind gusts originating from the right side of the aircraft. This wind caused the aircraft to descend, resulting in the left wing striking a palm tree.
Following the impact, the aircraft lost its wing tip, leading to a loss of control. The aircraft subsequently crashed into a grove of palm trees approximately 238 meters beyond the end of runway 18. The impact resulted in substantial damage to the airframe. The single occupant, the pilot, sustained minor injuries during the accident.
Findings
- Weather conditions at the time of the accident were reported as clear with wind speeds ranging between 6 and 10 knots.
- The primary factor in the loss of control was the impact with vegetation caused by wind-induced descent during a turn.