What happened
On a demonstration flight departing from Jakarta-Halim Perdanakasim Airport at 14:00 local time, a Sukhoi Superjet 100 carrying a crew of four and 41 passengers crashed during a maneuver near Mount Salak. The flight was intended to showcase the aircraft to potential buyers. Approximately thirty minutes after takeoff, while navigating around the mountain, the flight crew received permission to descend from 10,000 feet to 6,000 feet. During this descent, the aircraft struck the edge of a cliff and subsequently crashed a short distance away. The impact and a following fire completely destroyed the airframe.
Search and rescue operations reached the site approximately 18 hours after the event. There were no survivors among the 45 fatalities recorded from the total occupancy of the aircraft.
Findings
At the time of the accident, weather conditions were characterized by low visibility, with clouds obscuring both Mount Salak and Mount Gede. The aircraft, which had recorded 843 flying hours and 500 cycles since its manufacture in August 2009, struck terrain while operating in marginal weather conditions.