Firefighting Helicopter Crashes in Indonesia’s Barito River
A helicopter conducting aerial firefighting crashed while collecting water from the Barito River in South Kalimantan, prompting a search-and-rescue response. The incident is separate from a military helicopter crash in Central Kalimantan earlier in the week.
BARITO KUALA, Indonesia — A helicopter conducting aerial firefighting crashed while collecting water from the Barito River in South Kalimantan on Sunday, Nov. 8, prompting a search-and-rescue response in a region confronting forest and land fires.
The crash occurred at about 12:15 p.m. Central Indonesia Time (WITA) near Tabatan Baru village in Kuripan district, Barito Kuala regency. Bram Madya Temara, operations and readiness chief at the Banjarmasin Class A Search and Rescue Office, confirmed the incident and said a team was heading to the site.
“We have received the information; the team is moving to the location,” Bram said.
Aircraft went down during water pickup
The helicopter was carrying out water bombing, a firefighting method in which aircraft collect and drop water over fire zones. The operation uses a large water container, known as a bambi bucket, suspended from the helicopter by a long cable.
Video circulating on social media appears to show the helicopter collecting water from the river. As the bucket began to rise, the aircraft descended before its nose pitched toward the water. The footage shows the helicopter above the river at the time.
Authorities had not provided details on the helicopter’s condition or the people aboard in the initial information. The rescue team was traveling to Tabatan Baru to assess the scene and carry out further response efforts.
Separate from Central Kalimantan military crash
The Barito Kuala incident is separate from the crash of an Indonesian Army MI-17V5 helicopter in waters off Seruyan regency, Central Kalimantan. Both incidents involved firefighting missions, but took place in different locations and involved different aircraft.
The MI-17V5, registration HA-5235, went down near Kuala Pembuang in Sungai Perlu village on Wednesday, Nov. 4, while operating in the Tanjung Puting National Park area. On Saturday, Nov. 7, a joint team recovered and evacuated the aircraft’s flight data recorder and tail section.
The recorder was handed to the Army Aviation Center’s investigation team to support its inquiry. The search operation involved Indonesian Navy divers, Army aviation personnel, water police and the National Search and Rescue Agency. Findings from that crash do not establish the cause of Sunday’s incident on the Barito River.
Implications for firefighting operations
Aerial water bombing depends on repeated flights between water sources and fire zones. The crash adds an immediate safety concern to firefighting activity in the area, while authorities work to establish what happened and the condition of those aboard.
The Banjarmasin search-and-rescue team was en route to the Tabatan Baru crash site, officials said.
