Silk Air 185

On December 19, 1997 a Silk AirBoeing B737-300 aircraft departed Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, Jakarta with104 aboard (97 passengers, 5 cabin crew and 2cockpit crew). The aircraft took off in daylight with good weather conditions and climbed to 35,000 feet. The voice and data recorders were deactivated with no abnormal data, then, according to radar information, the aircraft suddenly dropped400 feet in 8 seconds and continued in a rapid descent initiating in-flight breakup followed by complete disintegration of the aircraft upon impact with the Musi River. Although 73% of the wreckage was recovered, most of the samples consisted of small highly distorted parts. All 104 persons on board were killed. Rapperport Associates was engaged to develop a simulation of the final flight path based on flight recorder data, radar information and debris field Silk Air 185 wreckage scatter.