Investigation Summary
The flight was a short-haul domestic service from Jakarta to Palembang. As the aircraft neared its destination, air traffic control cleared the crew for an approach to runway 28 (now designated runway 29). Although the flight began under visual conditions, a sudden onset of fog obscured the airport, reducing visibility to approximately 50 meters. Despite the deteriorating visibility, the crew continued the approach with flaps and landing gear extended. While on final approach, the aircraft descended below the minimum descent altitude. Approximately two minutes after entering the fog bank, the aircraft struck coconut trees 4 kilometers short of the runway, leading to a total loss of control and impact. The investigation highlighted a failure to execute a missed approach when weather conditions fell below the required minimums for a visual landing. Additionally, the investigation noted that air traffic controllers did not advise the crew to abort the landing despite the visible weather hazards.
Final Conclusions
The investigation concluded that the primary cause was the crew's decision to continue a visual flight into weather conditions that were below established minimums. Contributing factors included the failure of both the flight crew and air traffic control to initiate a missed approach procedure once the aircraft entered the fog.
Video Analysis
No video analysis linked for this case file yet.
Airframe & Maintenance
Systems & Failure Modes
Visual Flight Rules (VFR)
The regulatory framework under which the pilot operates the aircraft in weather conditions generally clear enough to allow the pilot to see where the aircraft is going. The flight continued under these rules despite conditions dropping below minimums.
Interesting Facts
- 01The aircraft had recorded 8,516 flying hours and 7,533 cycles at the time of the accident.
- 02Visibility at the time of the accident was reported to be as low as 50 meters due to heavy fog.
- 03There was no post-crash fire, which likely contributed to the survival of 36 occupants.
- 04One person on the ground was killed in the impact.
- 05The aircraft was previously registered as PK-GJX before being reregistered as PK-GVC.
- 06The crash site was located approximately 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) short of runway 28.
Safety Actions & Advisories
Adherence to Weather Minimums and Missed Approach Procedures
The investigation emphasized the necessity for flight crews to strictly adhere to weather minimums for visual approaches and to execute an immediate missed approach if conditions deteriorate. It also highlighted the role of air traffic control in monitoring weather hazards and advising crews to abort landings when visibility falls below safe limits.