MI 185 SilkAir crash

MI 185 SilkAir crash On 19 December 1997, a SilkAir Boeing 737- 300 en route from Jakarta to Singapore crashed near Palembang, Sumatra. All 97 passengers on board, the five cabin crew, Captain Tsu Way Ming and co- pilot Duncan Ward died in the crash.

Flight MI 185 had taken off from Jakarta at 3.37 p.m., climbing to a normal cruising altitude of 35,000 ft. At some time after 4 p.m., radar readings revealed that the aircraft had dropped some 400 ft below cruising altitude, and had entered into a rapid descent. The plane then disappeared from radar screens, and crashed into the Musi River.

There was a general outpouring of public grief in Singapore following the crash, and a memorial service was held at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

Three years later, the Indonesian National Transport Safety Committee reported that it was unable to establish why the aircraft had strayed from its normal cruising level. At one stage, there was speculation that pilot suicide was the cause, but no conclusive evidence was produced to confirm this theory. In August 1999, the Singapore Police Force initiated its own investigation. However, after careful examination and analysis of all available materials, the police announced in December 2000 that there was no evidence of any wrongdoing.

Although most families accepted the US$200,000 compensation per victim offered by SilkAir, several other relatives initiated lawsuits against the airline, Boeing and equipment manufacturer, Parker Hannifin Corp. On 8 July 2004, a Los Angeles Superior Court jury found that a malfunctioning component in the Boeing 737’s rudder control system had caused the accident, and ordered Parker Hannifin to pay US$43.6 million to the relatives of three victims. The manufacturer is appealing against the ruling.

Photo credit: Singapore Press Holdings/The Straits Times