Merpati Nusantara Airlines Boeing 737-322 plane crash
Rendani, Indonesia
Updated on
The Boeing 737-300, operated by Merpati Nusantara Airlines, took off from Sorong-Dominique Edward Osok Airport, Indonesia, bound to Rendani, Indonesia. 97 passengers and six crew members were onboard. The plane overshot the runway when landing at Rendani, before coming to a stop in a river bed. All the 103 people onboard survived, but some 20 passengers reportedly sustained minor to serious injuries.
The weather conditions were bad at the moment of the accident, with lot of rain and poor visibility. Isolated thunderstorm accompanied by heavy rain, lightning and fog could have been a culprit in hampering the visibility of the pilot.
The plane touched down smoothly on its destination airport runway but it just didn't stop. It skidded off the runway, and came to a stop some 200 meters (650 ft) far from the runway threshold in a shallow river. The Merpati airline Boeing 737 broke in two pieces.
Rendani Airport has a single runway, 17/35, measuring 2.000 m x 30 m.
Merpati Nusantara Airlines is currently on the blacklist of airlines banned from flying in the European Union.
