PILOT HEARS VOICES WHICH ENDED UP WITH HIM SAVING 148 PASSENGERS
Anthonius Gunawan Agung's final words before passing away were, "Batik 6321 clear for take-off," as a massive earthquake and tsunami ripped through Palu, Indonesia. To watch pilot Ricosetta Mafella guide his 148 passengers and crew to safety, the 21-year-old control tower operator remained in the office at Palu Aiport. However, his bravery proved costly as the building was damaged by the 7.5 magnitude earthquake, preventing him from escaping from the turret.
With the four-story tower shaking, all of his colleagues managed to escape, and he was the only man left behind. His only escape route was to jump, which he did but broke his leg and suffered severe internal injuries.
After receiving only basic medical care at the hospital after being taken there, he tragically passed away from his wounds while awaiting a helicopter to transport him to a more advanced facility. 4,340 people lost their lives as a result of the September 28, 2018, Sulawesi earthquake and tsunami.
Pilot Mafella of Batik Airways reflected on the incident at the time, telling the BBC: "I was in a hurry to get out. There was a voice in my head telling me to leave straight away. "I instructed the ground crew and my crew to increase their speed." Mafella's aircraft was already on the runway at 6:02 p.m. and took off three minutes ahead of schedule. The 44-year-old called Agung a "national hero" and a "guardian angel." Mafella could only watch from the cockpit as he saw enormous waves coming in from the coastline, but the passengers on board were unaware of the destruction they were leaving behind.
He told the publication, "I saw it was a wave moving in a circle with a huge radius, it was getting bigger and bigger but I didn't know what it was." "I called the air traffic controller several times to report what I saw, but nobody picked up."
Only later would he learn why no one would respond to him. "I'm in a WhatsApp group with other air traffic controllers, and one of them told me that they had asked Agung to get away from the tower," Mafella told the news outlet. Wait, wait, Batik is still here, he said. "I was stunned when I learned what had happened."