Sukhoi Superjet 100 Demo Flight Crash Near Mount Salak (97004)

Accident Overview and Flight Details The aircraft was conducting a demonstration flight when it departed Jakarta-Halim Perdanakasuma Airport at 1400 local time. The flight carried 41 passengers, identified as potential buyers, and a crew of four. The specific aircraft was manufactured on 09AUG2009 and had accumulated 843 flight hours across 500 cycles at the time of the accident. The captain had 10,347 flight hours and was a test pilot for the Sukhoi Civil Aircraft Company. ## Sequence of Events Approximately thirty minutes after departure, the aircraft was turning around Mount Salak. The pilots received authorization to descend from 10,000 feet to 6,000 feet in low visibility. The aircraft subsequently struck the edge of a cliff and crashed a few yards further, resulting in total destruction from the impact and a post-impact fire. ## Weather and Search and Rescue Weather conditions at the time of the accident were marginal, with clouds shrouding both Mount Salak and Mount Gede. Search and rescue teams arrived at the scene 18 hours after the crash. All 45 occupants were killed. ## Official Findings The official investigation identified several contributing factors. The flight crew was not aware of the mountainous area near the flight path due to available charts, insufficient briefing, and statements from the potential customer, which led to an inappropriate response to the Terrain Awareness and Warning System (TAWS) warning. The investigation noted that the impact could have been avoided by appropriate pilot action up to 24 seconds after the first TAWS warning. Additionally, the Jakarta Radar service had not established minimum vectoring altitudes, and the Jakarta Radar system was not equipped with a functioning Minimum Safe Altitude Warning (MSAW) for the area around Mount Salak. The flight crew was also distracted by prolonged conversation unrelated to the progress of the flight, which resulted in the pilot flying not constantly changing the aircraft heading while in orbit. Consequently, the aircraft unintentionally exited the orbit. This was the first accident involving a Sukhoi Superjet 100.