[kellyhound]

Indonesia. Today around noon a Eurocopter EC225LP Super Puma (registered VH-HGM) crashed into a river in South Kalimantan.

The aircraft was privately owned and chartered by Indonesia's National Disaster Management Agency to conduct water-bombing operations for ongoing forest fires.

The helicopter can be seen maneuvering moments after collecting water from the the river using a Bambi bucket. The aircraft lost control and plunged nose-first into the water near Tabatan Village in the Kuripan District.

Official assessment from Indonesia's disaster management agency and state news confirms that all 3 crew members survived the crash.

The two pilots are foreign nationals (reported as an Australian and a New Zealander) who were successfully rescued from the water and taken to a medical facility for treatment. The third crew member is an Indonesian national.

This is the second major aviation accident involving Indonesia's wildfire response teams in less than a week. Just days earlier, on Wednesday, November 4, 2026, an Indonesian Army Mi-17V5 helicopter also crashed during a firefighting mission in Central Kalimantan, resulting in three fatalities.

[volleyballbat]

That was the best nosedive I've seen. Spectators were also thrilled!