en.malanginspirasi.com – The National Disaster Management Authority (BNPB) is preparing a thorough evaluation of flight safety Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for water bombing operations used to fight forest and land fires (karhutla) following fallen helicopter crashes occurring within approximately one week during active firefighting missions.
Speaking at a press conference on forest fire management at the Coordinating Ministry for Political and Security Affairs in Jakarta on Monday (9/11/2026), Head of BNPB Lt. Gen. TNI Kristomei Sianturi stated that the review will encompass crew safety protocols, particularly procedures during water collection from rivers and oceans.
“Moving forward, we will evaluate the standard operating procedure (SOP) for water-bombing operations. For example, whether crew members must wear life jackets when scooping water from the sea or rivers. We will review all of this to prevent similar incidents from recurring,” said Kristomei.
The safety review was due to two tragic helicopter crashes involving aerial firefighting efforts.
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First, an Mi-17 V5 helicopter belonging to the Indonesian Army Aviation Command (Puspenerbad) crashed during operations, resulting in the deaths of three personnel.
The second accident occurred on Sunday (8/11/2026), when a Super Puma helicopter operating under a partnership between BNPB and private contractors crashed into the Barito River, claiming the life of one crew member.
The Super Puma aircraft had been repositioned from West Kalimantan to South Kalimantan to reinforce water-bombing efforts in response to persistent hotspots across the region.
Lt. Gen. Kristomei expressed deep condolences to the families of the victims, honoring their service in humanitarian disaster response.
“We express our deepest condolences over the loss of these humanitarian heroes who gave their lives while combating forest and land fires,” Kristomei said.
BNPB emphasized that while aerial firefighting operations remain active across several affected regions, crew safety must be prioritized alongside operational efficiency to mitigate further risks.
