Indonesian Fighter Jet Crashes in Pekanbaru

Indonesian fighter jet crashed in a residential area of Pekanbaru

An Indonesian fighter jet crashed in a residential area of Pekanbaru, Riau during a routine practice flight Tuesday morning, according to officials and media reports.

The plane’s pilot — identified by Kompas.com as Second Lieut. Reza Yori Prasetyo — safely ejected before the crash.

“The fighter aircraft crashed in a residential area,” Gagah Prakoso, spokesman of the National Search and Rescue Agency (SAR) told the Jakarta Globe. “But since it is a military aircraft, I’m not authorized to talk about the details of [pilot].”

The Hawk 200 plane was produced by British Aerospace — now called BAE Systems. It was flying over the provincial capital at 9:30 a.m. when it went down near Pandau Permai.

The Indonesian Military was investigating the cause of the accident.

“We’re still searching the data,” spokesman Rear Admiral Iskandar Sitompul said. JG