Eight Killed in Indonesia Helicopter Crash

Eight people were killed when a helicopter crashed in Indonesia’s West Kalimantan province on Borneo Island, authorities confirmed on Friday, April 17, 2026.

The Airbus H130 helicopter, operated by PT Matthew Air Nusantara, lost contact five minutes after taking off from Melawi district on Thursday, April 16, 2026. It was flying between palm oil plantations when it crashed in a densely forested area with steep hilly terrain near Sekadau.

Search and rescue teams, including military and police personnel, were deployed to the crash site via land routes on April 17 to retrieve the bodies and wreckage. Rescuers found debris suspected to be the tail of the helicopter approximately 3 kilometers west of where contact was lost.

The aircraft was carrying six passengers and two crew members, all of whom died in the crash. Among the victims was a Malaysian national, according to official reports.

The helicopter was owned by PT Matthew Air Nusantara and the plantation area where the flight originated is owned by an Indonesian palm oil company, Citra Mahkota. The cause of the crash remains under investigation, with authorities stating it is unclear at this time.

Indonesian National Search and Rescue Agency (BASARNAS) released photos showing rescuers inspecting the wreckage and the suspected crash site from a rescue helicopter. The incident adds to a series of aviation accidents in the region, though no direct link to prior events has been established.