World
Jet Crash Adds to Long List of Aviation Disasters in Indonesia
- Bad weather and aging aircraft factors in other air incidents
- Boeing 737-500 jet plunged into the Java Sea with 62 on board
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The crash of Sriwijaya Air Flight 182 on Saturday afternoon is another blight on Indonesia’s already poor aviation safety record.
The country has had several incidents linked to safety issues in the past, including poor maintenance, pilot training, communications or mechanical failures and air-traffic control problems. It’s the worst place in Asia to take an airplane, with 104 accidents and 2,353 related fatalities, data from Aviation Safety Network show. What sent Flight SJ182 hurtling into the Java Sea shortly after take off isn’t yet clear and likely won’t be until the plane’s black box is retrieved and examined. But two things are known -- the jet was flying in heavy rain and the Boeing Co. model was almost 27 years old.