US Embassy assists repatriation of pilot's body to Jakarta

Jayapura, Papua (ANTARA) - The repatriation of the body of Nicholas F. Goselin, an American pilot killed in Papua, is being facilitated by the United States Embassy in Jakarta, according to an official of PT Associated Mission Aviation (AMA).

Goselin, who had been flying with the aviation mission for three years, was one of 16 pilots employed by the company.

"We have flown Nicholas' body to Jakarta on a GIA (Garuda Indonesia Airways), and the US Embassy will handle the subsequent arrangements," President Director of PT AMA Bob Kayadu told ANTARA here on Saturday.

The pilot was fatally shot in an attack by an armed criminal group (KKB) in Sobaham Subdistrict, Yahukimo District, Papua Pegunungan Province, on Thursday (July 2).

He was piloting an AMA Pilatus Porter aircraft when the attack occurred shortly after he landed at Balinggama Airstrip.

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Following the shooting, the armed group set the aircraft on fire, rendering it completely inoperable.

Prior to the incident, AMA operated a fleet of eight Pilatus Porter and Cessna Caravan aircraft. "Currently, AMA is left with seven aircraft and 15 pilots, which includes several other foreign nationals," Kayadu noted.

He stated that Thursday's attack marked the first time an AMA aircraft had been targeted in the company's 67-year history of serving the Papuan region.

He also emphasized the company's strict neutrality, pointing out that the AMA fleet exclusively serves local civilian communities in the remote hinterlands of Papua.

The airline has never transported personnel from the Indonesian Military (TNI), the National Police (Polri), or armed groups.

“AMA only provides public services to the community, helping them to visit various isolated regions that can only be accessed by small aircraft," he said.

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Translator: Evarukdijati, Uyu Liman

Editor: Bayu Prasetyo

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