“Listen to the Last Words of the Air Traffic Controller Who Defied Fate to Save 148 Lives”
What would you do if a voice in your head whispered an urgent warning just moments before disaster struck? This was the surreal dilemma faced by pilot Ricosetta Mafella as he prepared for takeoff at Mutiara Sis Al Jufri Airport in Palu, Indonesia, in September 2018. With a 7.5 magnitude earthquake about to hit, he made a split-second decision that would save 148 lives. This riveting account of intuition and heroism unfolds as we explore the story behind that fateful flight, a tale of bravery that shines light on the extraordinary actions of air traffic controller Anthonius Gunawan Agung, whose dedication in the face of chaos became a beacon of hope amidst catastrophic destruction. Intrigued? Buckle up for an emotional ride that showcases just how split-second choices can change everything. LEARN MORE.
When an earthquake and tsunami hit Indonesia in 2018, one of the many places hit by the disasters was the Mutiara Sis Al Jufri Airport in Palu.
Less than a minute before a 7.5 magnitude earthquake struck the airport, a plane with 148 people on board took off. The pilot had decided to rush his departure and leave a few minutes early after a voice in his head told him ‘just get out of here immediately’.
The pilot, Ricosetta Mafella, took off a few minutes before his scheduled departure and left the ground seconds before the earthquake struck, and he was guided on his way by traffic controller Anthonius Gunawan Agung.
A 7.5 magnitude earthquake struck Indonesia in 2018 (Carl Court/Getty Images)
Agung was a 21-year-old who the pilot later described as his ‘guardian angel’ for staying behind in the airport’s control tower to make sure flight Batik 6321 flew away from the oncoming devastation.
Tragically, Agung died from injuries he sustained in getting out of the crumbling tower after the earthquake hit, not leaving until he’d told the departing passenger plane: “Batik 6321 clear for take off.”
His colleagues had already fled by that point, having urged Agung to flee the tower as it shook and the walls cracked around them, but he remained at his post to guide the plane with 148 people on board to safety.
21-year-old Anthonius Gunawan Agung stayed inside the airport’s crumbling control tower until he was sure the plane with 148 people on board was away (Indonesia Airnav)
When the plane had taken off and he could make his attempt to reach safety the heroic 21-year-old found his exit blocked and he tried to jump to safety from the tower.
Sadly he suffered a broken leg and internal injuries from the four storey drop, his colleagues rushed him to hospital where it was decided he’d need to be airlifted to another facility for treatment, but he died of his injuries.
A spokesperson for Air Navigation Indonesia said that Agung’s actions helped save a significant number of lives, and that he had been posthumously promoted twice ‘as a form of appreciation for his outstanding dedication towards the deceased’.
The pilot hailed the 21-year-old as a national ‘hero’, and said that once he took off he was able to see the giant waves of the tsunami.
The plane he helped guide to safety took off seconds before the airport was hit by a 7.5 magnitude earthquake (Selman Tur/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)
After take-off he attempted to contact Agung, but this time did not receive a response as the heroic air traffic controller would now have been attempting to make his way out of the crumbling tower.
Mafella told the BBC that he was later informed by Agung’s colleagues that they had tried to get him to leave the tower, but he told them he needed to attend to the plane with 148 people on board.
He said: “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. But he said wait, wait, Batik is still here.”
