Trial begins for Indonesian pilot in fatal crash

The pilot of an Indonesian jetliner that crashed, killing 21 people, went on trial Thursday accused of negligence, a charge that carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment, his lawyer said. The trial of Captain Marwoto Komar is believed to be first time a pilot has faced criminal charges in Indonesia, which in recent years has had a string of deadly aviation accidents. Komar's lawyer, Muhammad Assegaf, said that his client had suffered enough because he had lost his pilot's license and that the trial would give other pilots second thoughts about flying because of fears of prosecution. Komar was the chief pilot of a Garuda Airline 737 jet that overshot the runway at Yogyakarta Airport on Java island on March 7, 2007, then burst into flames. The crash followed a string of deadly accidents in Indonesia that raised concern... [read full story]