The Transportation Ministry has grounded the pilot and co-pilot of privately owned carrier Sriwijaya Air for two weeks after the aircraft skidded off the end of the runway at Supadio Airport in West Kalimantan last week.
"We’re grounding them for two weeks while waiting for an evaluation from the air transportation directorate general on the incident," spokesman Bambang Ervan told The Jakarta Post.
He identified the pilot as Yohannes and the co-pilot as Fabian Way.
Sriwijaya Air Flight 188, a Boeing B737-400 aircraft, made an unplanned excursion on Supadio's runway upon landing in the capital city Pontianak on Friday at 12:30 p.m. local time.
The aircraft was arriving from Jakarta in torrential rain and strong wind when the incident occurred.
It carried 163 passengers on board including a baby. All passengers and crew were safe.
He said that the nose-wheel of the B737-400 was broken and the landing gear had come off into the soft soil.
A full investigation conducted by the ministry and the National Transportation Safety Committee (KNKT) is underway.
In a separate interview, state owned airport operator Angkasa Pura II president director Tri Sunoko said that Supadio Airport was closed for 27 hours since the incident in order to evacuate the SJ-188 aircraft.
As a result, 29 flights were delayed; 17 arrivals and 12 departures, he said.
"Supadio Airport returned to normal on Saturday at 4 p.m. local time," he told the Post.
He said that the company had provided food for passengers whose flights were delayed. (nfo/mtq)
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