Bali Reviews Aviation Safety After Kite Causes Tourist Helicopter Crash 

Share The Article

Top officials in Bali have spoken out about their commitment to improving aviation safety after a helicopter carrying tourists on a scenic flight over Uluwatu crashed on Friday, 17th July.

While none of the passengers were injured in the incident, the situation has prompted leaders to revisit aviation safety policies and identify areas for improvement.

Leaders from the Aviation Authority (Otban) have been urged to install notification signs regarding the boundaries of Aviation Operation Safety Areas (KKOP) in regions across Bali.

The helicopter involved in Friday’s crash got into trouble when the rotor became caught in kite strings.

This month marks the start of kite-flying season in Bali, and while there are laws in place to prevent people from flying kites too high or around areas used for aviation purposes, many people still send their kites into the sky in these zones. 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by MEDIA INFORMASI SEPUTAR BALI (@denpasar.viral)

Speaking to reporters, the Head of South Kuta Subdistrict, Ketut Gede Arta, stated that installing more signage is a very important step to ensure flight safety and prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future.

Arta also acknowledged Otban’s regular outreach regarding aviation safety, including an event that was held on the morning of the helicopter crash. 

Arta told reporters, “We really appreciate the steps taken by Otban, who regularly holds outreach events related to aviation safety. It is hoped that there will be no future impacts related to flights. But we hope that the Otban can also install some kind of notification sign regarding the prohibition radius, considering that the condition of society in South Kuta is very dynamic and [often changing].”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by MEDIA INFORMASI SEPUTAR BALI (@denpasar.viral)

He added that in addition to signage, information leaflets should be handed out to communities to ensure everyone is aware of the law.

Arta continued “I hope this can be pursued, we will also provide written education in the future. So far, the people in South Kuta are actually aware of the rules regarding aviation safety areas. This is due to the regular outreach carried out by Otban, which has been proven by the few incidents that occur in the field.”

Arta concluded, “By installing these notification signs, we hope that the public will be more compliant and aware of the importance of aviation safety. The hobby of playing kites can be channeled properly in the permitted places and radius.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by MEDIA INFORMASI SEPUTAR BALI (@denpasar.viral)

Speaking separately, the Head of Region IV Airport Authority (Kaotban), Agustinus Budi Hartono, said that plans to install signs are still in progress, and he and his team are awaiting feedback from the Bali Provincial Government.

He explained, “If the Provincial Government feels that the Regional Regulations need to be revised, we will leave it to the Provincial Government. Whether they want to be adjusted to the Ministry of Transportation’s regulations, that is up to the Provincial Government.”

Speaking to the press about the helicopter crash, the Acting Governor of Bali, Sang Made Mahendra Jaya, committed to taking strategic steps to improve aviation safety.

He called an emergency meeting with airport stakeholders to discuss the crash and what could be done moving forward.

Jaya said, “We will immediately take strategic steps to avoid a repeat of the recent helicopter crash caused by entangled kite strings.”

He promised to ensure that communities across Bali receive the correct information regarding the laws around kite flying. It seems that the authorities are also going to need a little more support to help socialize the existing laws too. 

In a brief press interview, the Head of Satpol PP, the civil police service, Nyoman Rai Dharmadi, said that when he and his teams have tried to discuss these laws with communities in the past, few people have taken the issue seriously. 

Dharmadi said, “We are often bullied by the public as if Satpol PP doesn’t have bigger jobs, but kites are taken care of. People don’t understand that the consequences of careless kite flying can have fatal consequences.”

He noted that parents have to communicate the laws to their children, since most kites are flown by children and young adults. He called on kite flyers to bring their kites down at night rather than tying them to trees, and to reduce the height they are flying at. 

Dharmadi said that the Bali Provincial Government has no intention of banning kite flying but to enforce the existing laws to help protect all members of the public.