Chopper Crash Kills 10

What: PT Nyaman Air Bell 412 Chopper chartered by PT Nusa Halmahera Minerals en route from Manado Sulawesi Island in Indonesia to the Gosowong Mine
Where: Manado, Bitung, North Sulawesi
When: August 2, 2011, 2:30
Who: 10 aboard, (8 employees and 2 flight crew)
Why: The helicopter PK-FUG flown by pilot Edi Purnomo crashed into Mount Dua Saudara while en route. Nine aboard died in the crash, including two Australians, two South Africans and four Indonesians were passengers on the flight. The crew were Indonesian.
The flight was missing initially. Foggy weather hampered the search until it was finally found at 2 a m August 3, with one survivor, who died en route to the hospital. Work has been suspended at Newcrest’s Gosowong gold mine in North Sulawesi, Indonesia.

The chopper took off at 4:26 a.m. and lost contact with ATC shortly after takeoff.

The chipper was a joint venture between Australia’s Newcrest Mining and Indonesian company Aneka Tambang.
Contact information for the families:

Callers from Australia – 1800 267 616 Callers from PNG – 0008 661 164 Callers from Indonesia
o Landline – +62 21 7884 6956 ext 4005
o Mobile – +62 816 237002 Callers from other countries
o Landline – +61 3 9522 5562 o Mobile – +61 419 654 092