Engine failure expected to be cause of Indonesia military plane crash

Jakarta, July 2: The Indonesian military plane that crashed into a residential area likely suffered engine failure, media reported.

At least 141 people were killed on Tuesday when an Indonesian air force transport plane crashed in Medan on Tuesday shortly after take-off and exploded in a fireball.

Rescue operation has now been called off at the crash site, BBC reported.

This is latest in a series of accident in recent years involving military aircraft. President Joko Widodo has ordered a review of the aging air force fleet and other hardware.

The plane took off at 12:08 pm (0508 GMT) from the airbase and crashed in Medan about two minutes later, about five kilometres from the base, according to the military.

According to report, shortly after take-off, the pilot had asked to return to base, adding the aircraft might have suffered engine trouble.

OneIndia News