No fatalities

Aircraft crash into Batavia harbor shortly after takeoff (V-203)

Jakarta, IndonesiaTakeoff (climb)

On October 5, 1923, a Vickers Viking (Serie I/II/III & IV) (registration V-203) operated by Royal Netherlands East Indies Air Force - ML-KNIL was involved in an aviation accident near Jakarta, Indonesia during takeoff. No fatalities were reported. This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A); 8 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

Sourcesthe Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A)Primary reportUpdated 2026-08-04Data APIEditorial standards

An airplane crashed into the Batavia harbor near Tanjung Priok shortly after departing. The pilot was successfully rescued, but the aircraft was destroyed.

What happened

The incident occurred in the immediate aftermath of departure. Shortly after the airplane lifted off from the runway, it descended unexpectedly and impacted the water surface of the Batavia harbor, located off Tanjung Priok. Following the crash, emergency response teams were dispatched to the scene. The pilot was recovered from the water and survived the accident. However, the aircraft sustained catastrophic damage upon impact with the harbor waters and was declared a total loss.

Findings

The source material does not provide specific technical details regarding the mechanical condition of the aircraft or the exact sequence of control inputs leading to the descent. The primary outcome recorded is the survival of the pilot and the complete loss of the airframe in the harbor environment.