JAKARTA – Marwoto Komar, the pilot of a Garuda plane that crashed in Yogyakarta, killing 21 people, including five Australians, should be jailed for four years for criminal negligence, prosecutors have told judges.
Prosecutors told the court in Yogyakarta yesterday that Marwoto “was not careful enough”.
“The air at the time (of the accident) was clear, the runway was clear and no other plane was about to take off,” the prosecutors said.
“The defendant is legally and convincingly proven to have caused the deaths of 21 people and left 32 others with serious injuries.”
The court yesterday heard how the plane, on approach to the airport, was travelling at 240 knots, about twice the speed recommended for a safe landing.
It also tried to make the landing from 5000 feet, rather than the appropriate height of 4000 feet.
Despite being told twice by his co-pilot to abort the landing and “go around”, Marwoto ignored the warnings.
Earlier, the court had been told that he also ignored more than a dozen automated warnings, including blaring sirens in the cockpit.
Marwoto has insisted that the crash was due to a sudden surge of turbulence.
Marwoto is being prosecuted under the country’s penal code, rather than its air transport laws.
The trial will continue on March 10.
Source: The Age Melbourne
