Anger at lack of progress in crash probe

Silk Air flight MI185 crashed into the Sumatran jungle on December 19 last year, killing all 104 passengers and crew aboard the 737.

Most of the victims were Singaporeans and Indonesians, although Americans, Japanese, Malaysians, New Zealanders, Germans, French, an Australian, a Taiwanese and an Indian also perished.

The Indonesian authorities charged with investigating the accident have made little headway and have not even issued a preliminary report yet.

"The absolute quietness and inadequate transparency to the investigation . . . does not seem to help anybody, be it the families, the airline or the aircraft manufacturer," said Seet Choo Chua, who lost his son, Colin, during a speech on behalf of the victims' families at a memorial service.

"But I can assure you, it certainly continues to hurt the feelings of the bereaved families."

The victims' relatives "urge all relevant parties, and in particular the Indonesian authorities, to release more accurate information on an ongoing basis", Mr Seet said.

Speculation over the cause of the accident has focused on two possible theories: a mechanical error with the plane's rudder, or a pilot suicide.

Earlier this year, the Asian Wall Street Journal reported that the debt-ridden captain had taken out a last-minute life insurance policy. He also had tampered with a cockpit tape recording of a previous flight to hide an error.

The accident's chief investigator, Oetarjo Diran, gave little new information to the victims' families when they last met in August.

However, he revealed psychologists had joined the inquiry to study the crew's background.

David Beevers, whose pregnant wife, Suryani Rianto, died in the crash, said Mr Diran was due to meet some of the victims' families again in Singapore before the first anniversary.

"I don't think it's a cover-up, but I think there are things they're not releasing," Mr Beevers said.

Mr Beevers choked with emotion on the name of his dead wife while reading aloud the list of the victims.

"In short, please help us towards some type of closure," Mr Seet pleaded in his address to about 300 people, including Silk Air officials.

Published in the South China Morning Post. Dec 7, 1998