Papua Rebels Strike Again, Take Down Kiwi Pilot

Rebels in Papua Kill New Zealand Pilot in Second Plane Attack

What Went Down

Some pretty sad news coming out of Papua, which is way over in the eastern part of Indonesia. There's been another go at a helicopter by some rebels, and this time, they've killed a New Zealand pilot. This happened on a Monday, when the bad guys shot at the chopper as it was landing in a super remote place called Alama. It's in the Mimika area of Central Papua, so yeah, it's not exactly next door to a Starbucks.

The guy in charge of keeping the peace over there, Faizal Ramadhani, said the helicopter was being flown by Intan Angkasa Air Service. The pilot, a 50-year-old dude named Glen Malcolm Conning, didn't make it, but the four local Papuan folks on board got out safe and sound.

Why'd They Do It?

Faizal called the attackers an "armed criminal group," but we're not totally sure why they decided to go after the pilot. This whole thing is pretty similar to when they grabbed another Kiwi pilot, Phillip Mehrtens, and haven't let him go yet. That was about a year and a half ago, so it's definitely not the first time they've targeted people in the sky.

What's New Zealand Saying?

New Zealand's people in charge of talking to other countries (the Ministry of Foreign Affairs) have heard about it and they're definitely not happy. They've got their embassy in Jakarta working hard to find out more details, but they're playing it safe and aren't spilling all the tea just yet.

Who Was This Pilot Anyway?

Glen Malcolm Conning was a total pro. He was from a place called Motueka on New Zealand's South Island, and he had some serious flying chops. Earlier this year, he was even helping out with those big fires near Christchurch. The New Zealand Herald had some stuff on his heroics.

If You Wanna Know More

If you're into keeping up with the drama in Papua or just want to know more about planes and helicopters getting into trouble there, check these links out: