goodmorningpapua.com – A Rimbun Air pioneering plane with registration number PK-OTW crashed on Mount Wabu, Intan Jaya, Papua. On the plane, there were 3 crew members who were all found vanquished in the incident. The Intan Jaya Regency Government confirmed that the plane crashed due to bad weather.
Sugapa itself is the capital of Intan Jaya Regency, Papua. Sugapa is the gateway to Cartensz Peak. Located in the central mountains of Papua, at an altitude of about 2,200 m above sea level.
Only access to air transportation to Bilogai airport, Sugapa by using a small twin otter aircraft from Nabire or Timika.
Sugapa is surrounded by the mountains of Bula Pigu, Mbulu-bulu Pigu and Jogo Pigu. So, it takes an experienced and brace pilot of a small plane for flying to the Bilogai airfield, which is known to be often foggy so that it greatly affects visibility.
The characteristics of the Sugapa area are hills of karst rocks and wilderness in the highlands of Papua, if the pilot makes the wrong decision, the consequences will be fatal, the plane will crash into a mountain.
As an area in the highlands with limited sunlight intensity, cold and often foggy, with temperatures ranging from 12.15 degrees Celsius to 25.02 degrees Celsius, Sugapa’s main commodities are agricultural products in the form of vegetables, tubers and fruits.
These vegetables include carrots, cabbage, beans, tomatoes, chilies, sugarcane and waxy vegetables. Tubers in the form of taro, sweet potato and cassava. Fruits are banana, papaya, pumpkin, passion fruit and red fruit.
Agricultural commodities in Sugapa are grown organically. The most special is the passion fruit that the taste is very sweet and not sour.
To get to Cartensz Peak, a snowy peak in the tropics, it is closest to Sugapa on foot for about a week. The peak of Cartensz is sacred by the Moni tribe, this peak is guarded by Dingo, the singing dog of Papua.
Currently, there is satellite internet in Sugapa. For accessing it, someone needs to buy an hourly voucher. However, this satellite internet depends on the availability of electricity from generators or solar cells. Meanwhile, the availability of fuel oil in Sugapa is highly dependent on shipments from Nabire or Timika using small planes.
Besides Cartensz Peak in Sugapa there is a mummy of the Moni tribe. This mummy is named Belau Mala. The Moni people in Wandai and Hitadipa Districts still know the tradition of making traditional salt from saltwater pools. This tradition has been going on for generations. In addition, the residents still have a tradition of making and using Noken in their daily life, which can also be purchased by visitors.