Family clings to hope for Sukhoi passenger

BANDUNG. For the family of suspected Sukhoi plane-crash victim Kornel Mandagi Sihombing, hope still remains.

Kornel’s house in Bandung, West Java, is crowded with relatives and colleagues who are anxiously waiting for news about the fate of PT Dirgantara Indonesia’s (DI) integrated aero-structure head.

Colleague Novarius Gayus, the company’s aerodynamic manager, said he talked to Kornel on Wednesday afternoon before the Sukhoi Superjet 100 airliner took off.

“There were some miscalls from him. When I called him back, he told me he could not join a meeting at the Maulana Yusuf Christian Church because he had to represent the [company’s] director of technology and development, Andi Alisjahbana,” he said on Thursday.

But Kornel did not mention anything about being on the Sukhoi demonstration flight during the phone call.

Kornel’s wife, Indriyati Ayub, tried hard to hold back tears while monitoring news about the accident on TV.

“When I heard about the accident I tried to contact him several times but to no avail,” she said.

She said her husband had only told her that he would have a meeting with Sukhoi’s representatives Wednesday afternoon and would go to a dinner that night.

“I did not call him again because I expected he would arrive in Bandung at midnight,” Indriyati said.

She and other family members are still expecting good news. (Arya Dipa/ The Jakarta Post)