Denpasar, Indonesia: An Indonesian plane carrying over 100 passengers broke in two after missing the runway at Bali’s airport on Saturday and landing in the sea, leaving dozens injured but no fatalities.
The Boeing 737-800 was operated by budget airline Lion Air, a rapidly expanding carrier that recently secured massive orders for hundreds of new planes, but is banned from US and European airspace due to safety concerns.
The domestic flight ended with passengers screaming in terror as the aircraft hit the water after missing the runway at the popular resort island’s Denpasar airport, despite clear weather.
The plane came to rest partially submerged in the water not far from the end of the runway, with inflatable slides deployed from the front exits and a large crack in the fuselage near the rear.
Passengers in life jackets could be seen in the water.
“The plane was about to land when suddenly it fell into the sea. People on board panicked and started screaming,” said a passenger named Dewi, who like many Indonesians uses one name, her voice still trembling.
She suffered minor head injuries and was taken to Denpasar hospital.
“There were 45 passengers who needed hospital treatment after being injured, but I cannot say whether their injuries were minor or serious,” said an airport official.
Bali is a very popular holiday destination, attracting millions of foreign tourists from around the world each year.
Three foreigners were on board the Lion Air flight — a Frenchman, a Singaporean woman, and a Singaporean man, according to airport communications officials.
Transport ministry official Herry Bhakti initially stated the plane overshot the runway, but later clarified that it landed directly in the water. Officials said they were still determining the exact cause of the incident.
A Lion Air spokesperson said the aircraft was arriving from Bandung in West Java province with 101 passengers and seven crew members. The passengers included 95 adults, five children, and one baby.
He noted the aircraft was relatively new, having entered service in 2012, and that the national transportation safety committee would investigate the cause of the incident.
“The plane broke into two pieces,” he said, adding that “based on visual observation, the plane cannot be used anymore.”
Lion Air, a little-known carrier launched 13 years ago with just one plane, has recently made two of the world’s largest aircraft orders in a staggering $46 billion bet on Indonesia’s air transport boom.
France announced last month that Indonesia’s fastest-growing airline had agreed to buy 234 medium-haul A320 jets worth $23.8 billion from European aerospace giant Airbus.
That followed Lion Air’s stunning $22.4 billion deal for 230 Boeing 737 airliners, signed in 2011 during a visit to Indonesia by US President Barack Obama.
However, experts have raised concerns that the airline’s rapid growth could compromise safety, with some noting a shortage of qualified pilots in Indonesia to fly the rapidly increasing number of planes.
Lion Air is banned from European Union and US airspace, and within Indonesia it has a poor reputation for safety and reliability.
Between 2004 and 2006, it experienced six accidents, none fatal, all involving planes overshooting or missing the runway entirely.
Founded in 1999 by brothers Kusnan and Rusdi Kirana, who are ranked as the 33rd richest Indonesians with a combined wealth of $900 million, Lion Air is Indonesia’s first private airline in the sprawling archipelago nation.
Its 72 destinations are mostly within Indonesia, with the furthest route being to Saudi Arabia — a route primarily used by domestic workers and construction laborers.
Bali’s airport
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