Our condolences go out to the families of those who died on Mandala Airlines flight RI 091. We also grieve for the residents on the ground in Medan who were killed when the Boeing 737-200 aircraft smashed down in the residential area of Padang Bulan, near Polonia airport.
The crash is a ghastly reminder of the catastrophe of September 1997 when a Garuda Airlines Airbus A-300B4 plunged into a mountain range near Medan killing all 234 on board.
It must be a grim reality for people in Indonesia's third-largest city to again be witnesses to such a dreadful tragedy.
These tragedies, however, should not diminish our desire to travel by air. Air travel is an established form of transportation, which helps unite Indonesia's vast archipelago. Statistically, one has more of a chance of being killed in a road accident than in an airplane crash.
With the flight recorder now being analyzed and an investigation underway, it is hoped that the cause of the failed takeoff of flight RI 091 can be found.
Monday's crash should be a reminder to all airline operators to never slacken off with their safety-first attitude.
The latest crash is the third major air tragedy in less than a year. According to reports, since 2004 there have been over two dozen air accidents here.
Though not necessarily the cause of the crash, one does wonder whether sometimes airlines do "cut corners" in the world of fierce competition among budget airlines. Combined with soaring fuel prices, airlines are bound to make compromises in their service.
To cut down on the quality of in-flight meals is understandable. We only hope it has not led to cutting back on the budget for maintenance and other necessities.
Airlines must remember that passengers entrust their lives to them each time they board an airplane. It would be the greatest violation of trust if carriers knowingly compromised on safety.
The crash in Medan also highlighted the need to re-emphasize basic protocol concerning passenger manifests and protocol during such accidents.
Several people, whose names were on the original manifest, it turns out, were not on that airplane. Not only is this a violation of established airline procedures, but more importantly it poses a huge security risk when people can easily board using assumed names.
Unfortunately, it is a normal practice during domestic flights for people to board without having to show proper identification.
We also believe criticism is due the officials of Mandala Airlines for giving out the names on the manifest so readily to the media; and without prior confirmation about the status of each passenger concerned. In the immediate hours after the crash there were various reports of people being misidentified simply because their name was on the manifest. One can only imagine the emotional roller coaster families must have gone through to be in utter grief at the news of their loved ones, only to find out later that the individual was not on the flight.
There is much to be learned from this tragedy. Failure to do so will only worsen future disasters.