The deadliest aviation disaster in Indonesian history, killing all 234 aboard when a Garuda Indonesia A300 crashed into mountainous terrain near Medan.
Key Facts
- Total fatalities
- 234 (222 passengers, 12 crew)
- Aircraft type
- Airbus A300B4-220
- Crash site
- Mountainous woodlands near Buah Nabar, Sibolangit
- Departure airport
- Soekarno–Hatta International Airport, Tangerang
- Destination airport
- Polonia International Airport, Medan
- Ranking (Airbus A300 disasters)
- Fourth-deadliest involving an Airbus A300
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
The flight was a scheduled domestic service from Tangerang to Medan, Indonesia, routed over mountainous terrain in North Sumatra. Conditions at the time included poor visibility and challenging topography near the destination, contributing to the crew's loss of situational awareness during approach.
On 26 September 1997, Garuda Indonesia Flight 152, operated by an Airbus A300B4-220, crashed into densely wooded mountainous terrain near the village of Buah Nabar in Sibolangit, North Sumatra. All 222 passengers and 12 crew members aboard perished in the impact.
The crash became the deadliest aviation accident in Indonesia's history and the fourth-deadliest involving an Airbus A300. It prompted reviews of aviation safety procedures and approach protocols in Indonesia, drawing international attention to flight operations in the country's mountainous regions.