Australian pilot survives Borneo helicopter crash as search continues for missing Indonesian crew member

An Australian pilot has walked away with minor injuries after his firefighting helicopter crashed into a river in remote Indonesia, while emergency workers continue to search for a third missing crew member. The Super Puma H225 aircraft went down in the Barito River in South Kalimantan while attempting to collect water to battle severe forest and land fires burning across the island of Borneo.

Crew Status

National Disaster Mitigation Agency spokesman Berton Panjaitan confirmed that Australian pilot Michael John Betterridge and New Zealander Hugh Andrew John Page were both found in good health and are receiving medical attention. However, the third crew member, an Indonesian helicopter landing officer named Yayan Supyansuri, remains missing. Panjaitan initially stated that both pilots were Australian before revising the statement to correct the second pilot's nationality. Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade stated it is providing consular assistance to the rescued Australian and staying in touch with local authorities.

Rescue Operations

An 18-strong team from the South Kalimantan Regional Disaster Management Agency has been sent to the crash site to lead the search for Supyansuri and ensure a safe evacuation process. The damaged helicopter has already been moved to the riverbank so officials can investigate the wreckage. Panjaitan noted it is still too early to determine what caused the crash and declined to speculate before official findings are released, though the agency promised a thorough safety review of all firefighting air operations.

Context

The severe fires sweeping Indonesia this year are driven by months of drought linked to a very strong El Nino and underlying climate change. Satellite data analysed by Nusantara Atlas shows that 1.9 million hectares of land burned across the country between January and September, marking a 38 per cent increase compared to the same period in 2019, which was the previous worst year on record for Indonesian fires.