A Lion Air Boeing 737 collided with the terminal building of Mopa International Airport at Merauke in Indonesia. The incident occurred on Thursday, January 26, on a flight bound for Jayapura.
Flight JT767, operated on a Boeing 737–900, was scheduled to fly to the provincial capital of Jayapura. At 21:00, the aircraft rolled out of parking lot 5, heading for runway 34, and hit the air bridge with its wing. Footage released by passengers shows the plane continuing to move for a while before returning to the parking lot. The terminal building and aircraft sustained significant damage.
The airport is one of the easternmost in Indonesia and serves as the main gateway to several tourist destinations around Merauke, the most notable of which is Vasur National Park.
At the time of the incident, there were 117 adult passengers, 5 children and 7 crew members on board. Affected passengers were given the opportunity to transfer to other flights or receive a refund.
The ground personnel checked the body of the aircraft, as a result it remains on the ground, subsequent flights are canceled. The 15-year-old aircraft entered service with Lion Air in February 2008 and is owned by lessor Aergo Capital.
Lion Air Group denied that the airstair incident was due to the negligence of the aircrew. Lion Air's head of corporate communications confirmed to local news that no cause had been identified at press time, although it is believed the plane maneuvered to avoid an obstacle on the airfield: “Following the incident, Lion Air and the relevant authorities are currently conducting further investigations. . Lion Air cannot speculate or provide information about the cause of the accident. The investigation process requires considerable time.
Lion Air is currently working with the relevant authorities to investigate the incident. The Narcotics Unit of the Merauke Police will check all active aircrew.
