Brand New SUKHOI SUPERJET-100 Hit the Mountain
I don’t want to share sadness, but I want to share a fact that there is nothing perfect. A plane is a public transportation which carrying the passenger up on the sky. Most of us know this vehicle is the fastest transportation. I want to review about SUKHOI SUPERJET-100. A brand new SUKHOI SUPERJET-100 hit the mountain. About 46 people, including pilot, co pilot, and the passengers were reported dead in a Russian plane during the flight demonstration after hit the Salak Mountain, Bogor (West Java). The incident happened in Thursday, May 10, 2012. Now, all of Indonesian people watching the news and wait the rescue team find the victims. I am writing this hub while watching my television and follow the recent news.
SUKHOI SUPERJET-100 was on a demonstration flight and had potential buyers. Sukhoi flew the first demo at Halim Perdana Kusuma airport. This plane was flying around to the Pelabuhan ratu and back to Halim. The second flight like the first flight, but suddenly the airport officers lost in contact with this plane. Before they lost contact, the Russian pilot and co-pilot sought permission to the officers in the tower control to descend from 10,000 feet (3.000 metres) to 6.000 feet (1.800 metres). The pilot tried a sudden maneuver before it vanished from radar screens at coordinates 06 ° 43 '08 "south latitude and 106 ° 43' 15" East Longitude. The pilot and the crew did not have time to contact air traffic controllers. At that time, this plane just having the fuel to fly for 4 hours. The airport officers waited for more than 4 hours. So, the conclusion is the plane crashed.
Inside the cabin
This morning, the national search and rescue agency, Ministry of Transportation, representatives of PT. Trimarga Rekatama (the company that helped organize Wednesday’s event and the agent of Sukhoi) released the pictures of the area where the plane crashed. Broken pieces of SUKHOI SUPERJET-100 are visible on the slopes of the Salak Mountain. The Salak Mountain has height about 5.800 feet (1.900 metres) and the slope where the plane crashed is about 85 degree. Rescue teams using Super Puma helicopters, found pieces of metal from the plane body. They see the distinctive mark is the logo of the Sukhoi. They ensure that there were no survivors from this accident. While the victim's family waited anxiously in Halim Perdanakusuma airport. They waited a miracle.
In memorian: Alexander Yablontsev (pilot) and Alexander Kochetkov (Co-pilot)
From this hub, I also enclose the pictures of the pilot, co pilot, the stewardess from PT Sky Aviation and the location where the plane crashed. The rescue team difficult to reach the victims, because of the area on the slope and hampered by bad weather. Not all the rescue team can do this, only for those who have skill and they equipped with ropes. To continue the search for survivors, an air force unit will now be dropped from a helicopter. Until the Indonesian president, Mr.Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said: “An investigation must be done immediately and thoroughly”.
Salak Mountain, the location where the aircraft crash
PT Sky Aviation itself is known to have purchased 12 Sukhoi aircraft worth $ 380.4 million. That's why as many as 15 employees of Sky Aviation including flight attendants participated in this demo. Joy Flight activity is an initiative of the Sukhoi Company as a tribute to PT Sky Aviation as a first buyer's "Sukhoi Superjet-100" in Indonesia. The sad news is potential buyers and journalists were on board. SUKHOI SUPERJET-100 was on a tour, including Pakistan, Burma and Kazakhstan, and was due to visit Vietnam and Laos.
Inside the Cockpit
The first demo flight before accident
A little about SUKHOI SUPERJET-100
Sukhoi Superjet 100 is a medium-range passenger airplane that was designed since 2000. This is the first civilian aircraft made by Sukhoi which is famous for jet fighter. The aircraft is intended to replace the Tupolev Tu-134 and Yakovlev Yak-42. Superjet 100 project is fully supported by the Russian government. A number of foreigners companies who are also working for Superjet-100, such as: Finnmeccanica is the company from Italy which became the largest investor, Snecma is the French company for the engine and Thales company for the avionics device. Liebherr is a Germany firm also participated in the execution of the control systems and life support systems of Superjet 100 aircraft. This plane has FAA certificate (Federation Aviation Association) from USA about two years ago. Sukhoi Superjet-100 is competing with the company from Brazil, Embraer E-Jets and the Canadian company, Bombardier CRJ to offer a cheaper alternative. The price is about $ 35 million (£21m) per unit.
Sukhoi Superjet-100 specification
Sukhoi Superjet-100 first flew in May, 2008 and received certification to operate in Russia in 2011 and in the European Union in February 2012. Sukhoi Superjet-100 can carry 98 passengers, including 2 seats for crew. Length and wing span: 29,9 m/27,8 m. Maximum weight when take off about 49 tons with top speed of 840 km/h. The plane is able to fly as far as 3048 km (for the base version) and 4578 km (for long distance version). Sukhoi Superjet-100 can fly up to 12 200 meters. Sukhoi Superjet 100 has features called an electronic control system "fly-by-wire" that can add and subtract the gear for landing , including brake system has a function for stability. On the interior side, the cabin of Sukhoi Superjet-100 consisting about four seats in a row (business class) and five seats in a row (economy class). But I don't know why Sukhoi Superjet-100 in the pictures consist three seats and two seats.
Technical malfunction or human error could be the main causes behind a Russian Superjet 100. The conclusions on the crash that left 46 people dead are yet to be drawn. Personally, I believe that "Everything in God's hand". We might remember this quote: "Man proposes but God disposes". Anything sophisticated from the human creation, nothing can beat the destiny of God. I hope we can learn from this hub and still “Down to earth” or humble....amen!
