Skip to main content

LIVE TV

© 2026 WGCU News

News for all of Southwest Florida

LIVE TV

Donate

Play Live Radio

Next Up:

0:00

0:00

0:00 0:00

Available On Air Stations

Dozens Dead In Indonesia Air Force Plane Crash

NPR | By Krishnadev Calamur

Published June 30, 2015 at 7:34 AM EDT

Military personnel remove an aircraft wheel at the site where an air force transport plane crashed in Medan, Indonesia, on Tuesday.

Updated at 12:22 p.m. ET

Dozens of people are dead after an Indonesian air force C-130 Hercules transport plane crashed into a residential area in Medan, the country's third-largest city, shortly after takeoff Tuesday. An Indonesian military spokesman put the toll at 74.

Air force spokesman Rear Marshal Dwi Badarmanto said 74 bodies were recovered from the crash site. The dead included air force personnel and their relatives, he said.

Air Force officials say there may have been more than 100 people on the plane that had traveled from the capital, Jakarta, and stopped at two other places before arriving in Medan. Some of the passengers were the relatives of military personnel, The Associated Press reported.

The transport plane, which had been in service since 1964, had just taken off from Soewondo Air Force Base. Supriatna said it was returning to the base because of engine trouble.

In 2005, a Mandala Airlines Boeing 737 crashed into a Medan neighborhood shortly after takeoff, killing 143 people.

Copyright 2020 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Krishnadev Calamur

Krishnadev Calamur is NPR's deputy Washington editor. In this role, he helps oversee planning of the Washington desk's news coverage. He also edits NPR's Supreme Court coverage. Previously, Calamur was an editor and staff writer at The Atlantic. This is his second stint at NPR, having previously worked on NPR's website from 2008-15. Calamur received an M.A. in journalism from the University of Missouri.

See stories by Krishnadev Calamur

More from WGCU

Environment

Introduction to the Queensland Umbrella Tree

Dr. Jerry Jackson

The Queensland Umbrella Tree is sometimes known as the “Octopus Tree” because of its often nearly 3-foot-long stems that radiate upwards and outwards away from the its very large umbrella-like compound leaves. This puts the clusters of flowers and resulting fruit of the plant along each stem into the open – facilitating pollination of the tiny red flowers and easy access to the clusters of small purple fruit for birds that eat it and spread the seeds.
Human Interest

Local brewery hops to top in time for American Craft Beer Week

Samuel Brucker

Hopsized Brewing Co., along Old US 41 Road in Bonita Springs, gained international recognition with its one-of-a-kind “Chargie,” dubbed the best golden or blonde ale around the globe, just in time for American Craft Beer Week from May 11 to 15. But earning this designation has brought a disconcerting trend to both owners’ attention that they said passionate craft beer connoisseurs cannot ignore.
Environment

Wildfire along NB I-75 in Charlotte County now at 98 acres, 85 percent contained

WGCU Staff

A wildfire of undetermined origin was burning in 98 acres alongside northbound Interstate 75 by mile marker 151 Saturday with smoke and flames visible from the freeway. The fire was reported at 85 percent contained.