Crash in Dense Forest
A private helicopter crashed in a remote, densely forested area of Indonesia’s West Kalimantan province on Thursday, killing all eight people on board, authorities confirmed Friday. The victims included two crew members and six passengers, all men, with one identified as a Malaysian national.
Loss of Contact and Recovery
The Airbus helicopter, operated by local firm Matthew Air Nusantara, lost contact with air traffic control approximately five minutes after takeoff on Thursday morning. A joint search and rescue team located the wreckage later that evening in an area described as having dense forest and steep slopes.
“The joint search and rescue team had successfully located the crash site of the aircraft and, based on information from the field, all passengers and crew members have been confirmed dead,” stated civil aviation director general Lukman F Laisa. The bodies were transported to the provincial capital, Pontianak.
Indonesia’s Aviation Safety Record
This incident adds to Indonesia’s troubled aviation safety history. The vast archipelago nation relies heavily on air travel but has witnessed several fatal accidents in recent years:
- In January 2026, a turboprop plane chartered by the fisheries ministry crashed into a mountain on Sulawesi, killing all 10 on board.
- In September 2025, a helicopter crash in South Kalimantan province resulted in eight fatalities.
- Less than two weeks later, another helicopter crash in Papua’s Ilaga district killed four people.
Investigations into the cause of the latest crash are ongoing.
