Pilot inhibited terrain warning system says report
Neelam Mathews Dec 18, 2012 Crashed Sukhoi Superjet Indonesia’s National Transportation Safety Committee has completed the investigation of the Sukhoi Superjet 100 RRJ-95B aircraft, registered 97004 with flight number RA 3680, that crashed into Mount Salak, West Java in May killing 45. The inquiry finds the crew switched off the terrain-warning and was distracted by conversation, before hitting the mountain. The pilot of the Russian-made aircraft may have been distracted as he was talking to a potential customer, said Tatang Kurniadi, head of Indonesia’s National Transportation Safety Committee. The pilot’s lack of familiarity with the West Java region and poor planning were other factors. The 90-seat SuperJet was carrying reporters and potential customers as part of a regional promotional tour. The report used information obtained from air traffic services transcripts, Indonesian National Search and Rescue (Basarnas) reports, flight records, the flight data recorder and the...