Garuda Indonesian Airways Flight 542 Explained

Garuda Indonesian Airways Flight 542
Type:Missing, presumed crashed into the sea
Occurrence Type:Disappearance
Site:Off Madura Island
Origin:Juanda Airport, Surabaya, Indonesia
Destination:Sepinggan Airport, Balikpapan, Indonesia
Aircraft Type:Douglas DC-3
Operator:Garuda Indonesian Airways
Tail Number:PK-GDY
Occupants:26
Passengers:21
Crew:5
Fatalities:26 (presumed)
Missing:26
Survivors:0 (presumed)

Garuda Indonesia Flight 542 was a scheduled passenger flight on 3 February 1961, which was reported missing en route from Surabaya to Balikpapan. All 26 occupants on board were lost in the accident.[1]

Flight

The aircraft departed Surabaya-Juanda Airport at 11:35 pm inbound for Balikpapan. While in cruising altitude, the airplane disappeared from radar screens and presumably crashed into the Java Sea. Search and rescue operations were conducted but eventually suspended after a few days, as no trace of the aircraft nor the 26 occupants was found. The crew was unable to send any distress call prior to the accident. Due to a lack of evidence, it was not possible to determine the exact cause of the accident.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: ASN Aircraft accident Douglas C-47A-20-DK PK-GDY Madura Island. 20 March 2022.