Manufacturer of crashed jet in Indonesia to join probe

SEOUL, South Korea – The South Korean manufacturer of the Indonesian military plane that crashed over the weekend, killing two pilots on board, said Tuesday, December 22 it was prepared to take part in a probe into the accident.

“We have our experts who are on standby in the country. They are ready to respond immediately if they are asked to join the probe,” a spokeswoman for Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) told AFP.

Sunday’s crash of a T-50 Golden Eagle fighter jet during an air show in central Java marked the 3rd crash involving the South Korea-developed supersonic training aircraft, which debuted in 2002.

Two pilots were killed during the crash. 

Video circulating on social media showed a fighter plane performing maneuvers in the skies above Yogyakarta before spiraling toward the ground at speed and disappearing from view.

Seconds later a thick, dark plume of smoke rose beyond the horizon, as people in the video can be heard screaming.

Both of the two previous crashes occurred in South Korea. In 2012, a pilot was killed, and two pilots died in another crash in 2013.

KAI has since 2011 exported 56 T-50s to 4 countries including the Philippines, Thailand, Iraq and Indonesia. Indonesia in particular has bought 16 of them.

The South Korean firm has also been seeking to bid for a American multi-billion-dollar advanced training jet project.

“It’s too early to comment as to whether the latest crash would affect our chances in the bid. We have to wait and see the results of the investigation into the accident,” the spokeswoman added. – Rappler.com