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CIDAHU, Indonesia – Rescuers discovered bodies Thursday near the shattered wreckage ofa new Russian-made passenger plane that smashed into the steep sideof an Indonesian volcano during a flight to impress potentialbuyers. All 45 people on board were feared dead. Due to the remoteness of the crash site, the bodies will be placedin nets and lifted by ropes to a hovering chopper, national searchand rescue agency spokesman Gagah Prakoso said. They will beevacuated to the capital, Jakarta, for identification by familymembers. "So far we haven't found any survivors, but we are stillsearching," he said, as more soldiers, police and volunteers hikedthrough the mist-shrouded slopes toward the wreck. "I cannot say anything about the condition of the bodies," saidPrakoso, but he added: "A high speed jet plane hit the cliff,exploded and tore apart." The Sukhoi Superjet-100 — Russia's first new model ofpassenger jet since the fall of the Soviet Union two decades ago— was in Indonesia as part of a six-nation tour of Asia aimedat drumming up new customers. It was carrying dozens of representatives from Indonesian airlinesand journalists on what was supposed to be a quick, 50-minutedemonstration flight Wednesday. Some excited passengers snappedpictures of themselves smiling and waving in front of thetwin-engine jet before liftoff, quickly posting them as theirprofiles on Facebook and Twitter. Just 21 minutes after taking off from a Jakarta airfield, however,the Russian pilot and co-pilot asked air traffic control forpermission to drop from 10,000 feet to 6,000 feet (3,000 meters to1,800 meters), said Daryatmo, chief of the national search andrescue agency. They gave no explanation, dropping off the radar immediatelyafterward. It was not clear why the crew asked for the shift in course, hesaid, especially when they were so close to the 7,000-foot(2,200-meter) volcano, or if they got the OK. Communication tapes will be reviewed as part of the investigation. Soon after, they hit the jagged ridge on top of Mount Salak, along-dormant volcano, leaving a giant earthy gash along the steepslope as it stripped trees. Family members, many of whom spent a long, sleepless night at theairport, broke down in tears on hearing news that the wreckage hadbeen spotted, first by helicopter, then by land search-and-rescueteams. Others stared blankly ahead in disbelief. The Superjet — a 75- to 95-seater — has been touted asa challenger to similar-sized aircrafts from Canada's BombardierInc. and Brazil's Embraer SA. Potential buyers will scrutinize the crash investigation for signsof flaws in the aircraft. "If it's a technical fault ... then obviously that will be veryserious for them," said Tom Ballantyne, a Sydney-based aviationexpert. "But if it's pilot error or the fault of air trafficcontrol, it won't be quite so bad because they'll be able to say,'Well, it's not the airplane'." The Superjet — developed by the civil aircraft division ofSukhoi with the co-operation of Western partners — has beenwidely considered Russia's chance to regain a foothold in theinternational passenger plane market. The country's aerospaceindustry was badly undermined in the economic turmoil following the1991 collapse of the Soviet Union. All but 10 of the 45 people on board were potential buyers andjournalists, said Sunaryo from PT Trimarga Rekatama, the companythat helped organize Wednesday's event. The others were Russians, all from Sukhoi companies, an Americanconsultant with a local airline and a Frenchman with aircraftengine-maker Snecma. The Superjet made its inaugural commercial flight last year. "It is their big hope that they will somehow get into the jetaircraft passenger market in a bigger way than they have,"Ballantyne said. "We all know that the Russians have had a dreadful record in thepast with their aircraft, so this was vitally important to theirindustry." With a relatively low price tag of around $35 million, the planehas garnered around 170 orders. And Indonesia, the world's fourthmost populous nation with a fast-growing middle class, is alreadyone of the biggest customers. Kartika Airlines and Sky Aviation — among dozens of airlinesto have popped up in Indonesia in the last decade to meet thegrowing demand for cheap air travel — had ordered at least42. ___ Associated Press writers Ali Kotarumalos and Niniek Karmini inJakarta and Margie Mason in Hanoi contributed to this report. The e-commerce company in China offers quality products such as Reinforced Cord , China Polyurethane Rollers, and more. For more , please visit Polyurethane V Belt today!
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