Media Reports No Survivors

A Mandala Airlines 737 has gone down shortly after takeoff form the city of Medan, in Indonesia, Monday. Currently reported as a Boeing 737-200, the Mandala 737 was reported to be carrying five crewperson, 109 adults and 3 infants.

The takeoff accident put the aircraft down in the middle of a local village where the aircraft was consumed by post-impact fire. Indonesia's transport minister reported that the aircraft took off at approximately 1005 (0305 GMT), local time and went down minutes later. 

Mandala is an Indonesian Airline, partially owned by the Indonesian military. Their web page notes that Mandala  operates 12 Boeing 737-200 Adv with JT8D-15/17 engines for domestic routes.

The President of Indonesia, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, has already ordered the Minister of Transportation, Hatta Radjasa, to initiate an investigation into the accident, urging him to take 'all necessary steps' to prevent another disaster in the future. "The president gives his deepest sympathy and condolence to the families of the victims," said Presidential spokesman Andi Mallarangeng.

Medan is the capital of the province of Sumatra and has become the gathering point for most tsunami relief flights involving the province of Aceh. Media reports indicate that a great number of American aid workers are currently living there but that the American Embassy said it 'did not know' if any Americans were on board the Mandala flight.

The last major airliner-involved accident in Indonesia occurred last year and involved a McDonnell-Douglas MD-82. In that accident, Lion Air went off the runway on Java Island, resulting in 26 deaths.

FMI: www.mandalaair.com