MEDAN, Indonesia, July 1 (UPI) -- The Lockheed C-130 Hercules military transport plane that crashed in Indonesia was apparently attempting to return to base after the pilot reported a technical issue.
At least 141 bodies have been recovered from the crash, where at least 19 died on the ground.
None of the 122 people aboard the military transport plane survived. The plane hit several houses, shops and a hotel in the city of Medan before erupting into flames on Tuesday.
The plane apparently crashed as it was turning right in an attempt to return to base after the pilot complained about a technical issue, according to Indonesian Air Force head Agus Supriatna.
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The plane took off from Soewondo Air Force Base, about three miles away. Only the tail of the plane was recognizable from the debris.
Many of the deceased are not military personnel. The Indonesian military allows relatives of servicemembers to hitch rides on military aircraft, but the definition of relatives is often used ambiguously.
The military is investigating if people were using the protocol to buy cheaper, more convenient flights. There were students and non-related civilians aboard the plane when it crashed.
President Joko Widodo offered his condolences, wishing for "patience and strength" of surviving victims, and urging for an investigation into Indonesian military aircraft.
"Following several plane crashes, we should conduct a total audit and modernize the [old] planes," Widodo said, adding that the military needs to carry out a "fundamental overhaul of the management of military weaponry."
Some victims are being identified through blood samples.
An identification center for victims was established at the Adam Malik General Hospital in Medan, the capital of the North Sumatra province. The plane was on a mission to the Natuna Islands in the South China Sea to deliver supplies for military personnel.
The plane was built in the United States in the 1960s and was inspected and cleared for flight, according to a military official.
At least six military aircraft incidents have occurred in Indonesia since 2009, including an F-16 fighter jet catching fire after taking off in Jakarta in April and another military transport plane crashing in Java in 2009, killing 98 people.
