A New Zealand pilot was injured and his Spanish
co-pilot killed when their small plane crashed into a mountain in
Indonesia's remote Papua region, rescue officials say.
The pilot
aborted a landing attempt on Wednesday after spotting a villager who had
wandered onto the airstrip in Paniai district, local search and rescue
chief Sumpeno Yuwono told Agence France-Presse.
After flying away the Susi Air's Cessna Grand Caravan aircraft crashed into a mountain about 11 kilometres away.
"The
New Zealand pilot has been rescued to a hospital in Timika town and the
body of the Spanish co-pilot was sent to a nearby airport," Yuwono
said.
PT ASI Pudjiastuti Aviation, which owns the aircraft, said the 31-year-old New Zealander was in a stable condition.
The
plane, flying from neighbouring Nabire, was carrying food supplies to
remote villages in the district, other rescue officials said.
NZN