Fuselage Cracked Down Middle

Beleagured Indonesian low-cost carrier Adam Air has been forced to ground a third of its fleet, following a hard landing Wednesday that literally cracked the fuselage of one of its Boeing 737s.

Reuters reports the Indonesian government called for immediate safety checks on Adam Air's six 737-300s after the incident at Juanda Airport in Surabaya. The aircraft's center fuselage section reportedly cracked from the top, leaving the plane's tail drooping towards the runway.

Until those checks are performed, Adam Air cannot fly the aircraft... a ruling the airline called unnecessarily harsh.

"The Adam Air management is surprised by the decision and views it as harsh punishment given to a national airline," the company said in a statement directed at the Transport Ministry. The airline added strong winds and heavy rain contributed to Wednesday's incident, and that the 13-year-old aircraft had undergone thorough checks prior to the accident flight.

It is the second time this year Adam Air has faced scrutiny of its safety guidelines. As ANN reported, an Adam Air 737-400 fell from radar screens January 1 on a flight from Surabaya to Manado. Searchers recovered some debris from the crash in the sea off South Sulawesi, although no bodies of that plane's 102 passengers and crew have been recovered.

That accident prompted President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to create a commission to study transport safety.

Adam Air operates 19 Boeing 737s.

FMI: www.adamair.co.id